You Can Die (Only By My Hand)
by MissYuki1990
Summary: A series of short, connected stories based on beautiful cosplay photos by OriSor! I hope you'll like it!
1. I Will Kill You

**I claim no rights to the characters of Shingeki no Kyojin. They belong to Isayama-sensei.**

**Warnings: **Universe Alteration, Slash, Violence, explicit content, OOC, OC

* * *

"You've lied to them." The five words spoken by that sultry voice echoed against the stone walls, eventually dying in the strained silence.

Eyes the color of ice under a stormy sky stared at the slight yet surprisingly strong form standing by the window across from him, seeming almost at ease were it not for the subtle signs of tension in squared, deceptively delicate shoulders.

Erwin Smith, Commander of the Recon Corps, was not a stupid man by any account. He could see clearly just what sort of man was standing in front of him, sipping on tea casually, pointedly ignoring Erwin's presence.

When he had been told of this _Levi Ackerman_, Erwin didn't think much of him. It has been a hard learned lesson to not create opinions on anyone before seeing for himself what he would be dealing with.

But one glance at this _pipsqueak_ of a man, and Erwin has been bought.

Or sold.

How does the saying go?

Falling hook, line and sinker?

This little man was by far no giant, but he fought like one. It has been a long time since _anyone_ stood as a challenge to Erwin, and if the other two hadn't been captured, the Commander wasn't certain that he would have gotten out of that fight without sustaining injuries.

Levi Ackerman fought like a man who had everything to lose and was ready to do whatever it took _not_ to lose anything. His quick assessing of the situation, incredible tactical thinking, and perfect instinctual reaction to everything that happened made Erwin believe that he found what he has been looking for.

Now, the only thing that had to be done was to convince Levi to stay and make him obey orders, and Erwin was certain that they would make a great team.

Alright, _first_ he needed to make the man _talk_…

Then they could move on to staying and obeying orders.

"That was quite an underhanded move." Erwin was pleasantly surprised when Levi spoke up, his voice a low monotone underlain with a growl which to anyone else might have sounded threatening. To Erwin it sounded strangely alluring.

"I am afraid that I don't know what you're talking about," Erwin answered as he took a step deeper into the room, clasping his hands behind his back and stopping just a few meters away from Levi, still keeping his distance.

It would be a stupid thing to say that he in any way trusted Levi at this point. It was hard to trust _anyone_ not twenty-four hours after crossing blades with them, although Erwin would have nothing against doing that again.

Erwin's musings were interrupted by a soft 'tsk', and the Danchō cocked an eyebrow when Levi placed the empty, white cup on a wooden table, the 'clack' echoing through the silence followed by rustling of clothes concealing the lithe form sinewed with hard muscles.

Levi crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at Erwin, silver stare dull and penetrating, and Erwin suddenly knew how his underlings must feel while being observed by him, having often been told that his stare was difficult to return.

"You never wanted them," Levi spoke, each word dripping with venomous challenge, although the tone of his voice didn't change at all. His expression was dull, those sharp eyes staring straight through Erwin and into his core, unraveling whatever mystery made him, and again Erwin couldn't help but conclude that bringing this man into the Recon Corps was a great idea.

"The fact still stands that you've lied to them," Erwin answered, challenge obvious in the hardly visible curl of the right corner of his lips, and if Erwin wasn't as observant as he was, he wouldn't have noticed the subtle tightening of pale, thin lips.

"I don't lie," Levi spoke dully and turned his head to the right, looking out the window at the sun-lit streets and people moving around.

"You said you don't want them here," Erwin recalled the words he heard Levi say to Isabel and Farlan, "that they would only get in the way. I thought you cared more about them since you surrendered when they were captured."

"Like I said," Levi spoke dully, turning his back on Erwin again and walking over to the window, squinting because of the sun breaking through parted curtains, "I don't lie." The soft murmur was hardly audible to Erwin, and he took another step closer.

"Care to explain why you did that then?" he asked, wanting to understand the man he would – hopefully – be working with from now on, "Because there is still time to bring them back before they settle in Shiganshina."

Levi glanced over his left shoulder at Erwin, steel eyes racking over the strong form of the Commander, snorting and looking away again, straightening to full, albeit unimpressive height.

"They would have gotten killed," Levi answered finally, making Erwin's eyebrows rise in slight surprise. "They will be safer behind the walls now that they're free to live their lives up here."

Erwin stared at the smaller man, undeniably intrigued by him. "You are a strange man, Levi Ackerman."

"I'm quite simple actually," Levi answered dully and turned around as his hands fell to his sides. He leaned back against the window, fingers curling under the window pane, and stared at Erwin from under straight-falling bangs, harsh eyes gazing fearlessly into Erwin's, "and completely honest as well."

"Hoh?" the Danchō couldn't help but smirk, taking another step closer to Levi who didn't so much as twitch.

"Yes," the left corner of Levi's lips curled up and he tilted his head to the right, something flashing in the steel he had for eyes, "which is why you can believe me when I say that – one day – I _will_ kill you."

For the first time in a long, long while, Erwin was left speechless.

He stared at Levi, mouth shut and eyes wide. _Something_ in his brain must have short-circuited at the blunt admission, but the moment didn't last long.

"_Really_?" Erwin spoke, voice laced with amusement as he took another step closer to Levi who had to tilt his head back for their gazes to remain locked, showing absolutely no reaction when Erwin braced his hands on the sides of the window, his face inches away from Levi's. "And why would you want to kill me?"

"Because I _hate_ self-centered old bastards like you," Levi answered in that emotionless monotone, glance darting to the right minutely when a nerve beside Erwin's left eye twitched.

"You listen to me, _Levi Ackerman_," Erwin spoke slowly, lips hardly moving as he inched closer to the raven-haired man, their breaths mixing between their lips, noses practically touching. "You were brought here to become a member of the Recon Corps. You have potential," he glanced down before focusing on those gray eyes again, seeing the narrowing of thin, black eyebrows, "_great_ potential even, but I _do not_ suffer people who don't listen to orders. Insubordination is _strictly_ punished."

When Levi showed no reaction to Erwin's words, the Danchō smirked, and faster than Levi could react Erwin grabbed a hold of the smaller man's chin and tilted his head further back, just a slight wince twitching on Levi's face when the back of his head met the cold surface of the window.

"Now," Erwin moved even closer if possible, so much that it was difficult for Levi to keep his gaze trained on Erwin's, glancing at full lips instead. Erwin could have _mouthed_ the following words and Levi would have heard them perfectly, "You signed a contract which makes you a member of my squad. Dissertation is considered treason and is punishable by death. You will either learn to respect me and obey me, or you will find yourself wishing you had stayed in the slums."

When Levi snorted Erwin's head twitched to the left a bit, eyes narrowing into a squint, his hold on Levi's chin tightening.

"You really _are_ disgusting," Levi hissed, but before Erwin could even think of an answer, the smaller man moved, planting a fist firmly into Erwin's stomach with surprising force considering the lack of space to take momentum, making Erwin step back just enough to give Levi a chance to attack.

Erwin looked up in time to see Levi swinging his left leg at him, raising his right arm to shield his side, with his left hand taking a firm hold of Levi's ankle, eyes widening when the raven-haired man grabbed a hold of the windowpane and jumped up, bending his left leg with the knee going straight for Erwin's head.

Letting go of Levi's ankle, Erwin danced out of the way of the smaller man's knee, coming to stand only several steps away, ready for the next attack, watching as Levi landed gracefully, hands fisted by his sides and poised to strike, face as expressionless as ever, and yet those steel eyes were alight with fire Erwin witnessed the first time he looked into them.

Levi huffed and shook his head, straightening and looking to the side as though he was dismissing Erwin, fingers uncurling as he shifted his weight and raised his head, standing there as though nothing happened.

Erwin eased up as well, although he still observed Levi carefully, ready to subdue the raven-haired terror if the need arose.

"I don't obey people I don't respect, _old man_," Levi drawled dryly, hands which could be as deadly as the most poisonous snake in the world rising to fix the collar of the white shirt before tugging on the bottom edges of his brown vest, "and respect has to be earned," he added while fixing the sleeves of the shirt, Erwin's eyes widening minutely when Levi performed the perfect salute, _somehow_ making it appe_ar mocking_.

Clasping his hands behind his back Erwin approached Levi, almost _daring_ the deceptively frail looking man to attack him again with his careless prowl and demanding stance. He came to stand to Levi's left, pointedly looking out the window behind the shorter man, standing at full, quite impressive height.

"You will report to the armory and you will get your uniform," Erwin spoke through lightly clenched teeth, voice laced with a silent challenge. "You will come to the training grounds promptly at 5:00 in the morning for training since I don't want to lose time by sending you to the academy."

Erwin looked to his left, having to duck his head a bit, and found Levi staring at him darkly from the corner of his eyes, the steely glare awakening something within the Danchō he never felt before.

"You will do _exactly_ as you're told, Ackerman," Erwin spoke quietly, feeling a spark of enjoyment coursing through him when he saw a twinge of annoyance in those cold eyes. "Every time you refuse to follow orders you will be _disciplined_." A smirk tilted Erwin's lips only to fade very quickly when Levi hned, the glare intensifying defiantly. "And I've found that _pain_ is the most efficient way to discipline a rowdy _dog_."

"Careful, _old man_," Levi pressed out through his teeth, "rowdy dogs tend to bite."

Erwin snorted as he bowed lower, noticing the way Levi stood taller, every move, every _muscle_ in the smaller man's body _screaming_ with resentment. "Not if their teeth are plucked out," he answered equally.

"What use is there from a toothless dog?" Levi bit out, slowly turning towards Erwin.

"It still has claws," Erwin answered dismissively, which obviously didn't sit well with Levi if the flash of annoyance in his eyes and the twitch of his left eyebrow were anything to go by. "You _will_ obey, am I clear?"

Levi was quiet for a few seconds, staring straight into those blue glaciers Erwin had for eyes as though he was weighing his options, but for the life of him, Erwin couldn't figure out what the shorter man was thinking.

"Am I clear?" Erwin repeated slowly, inching ever closer to Levi, hands clenching into fists by his sides, a single minute glance down showing him that Levi was equally tense.

"Crystal," Levi pressed out through tightly clenched teeth and Erwin hned before he straightened and took a step back, looking down at Levi with a cold expression.

"When you're done getting measured for a uniform you will find a senior member to lead you to the barracks, and settle in your room," Erwin spoke as calmly as he could, joining his hands behind his back, left hand wrapped tightly around the right wrist.

"Fine," Levi answered - voice slightly louder - and Erwin actually felt annoyance slowly getting the better of him.

"You have time until dinner to fix you room to your liking after which you will join the rest of the squad in the dining hall." Despite Erwin's best efforts his own voice rose in volume, achieving the tensing of Levi's shoulders and a flash of anger in steely eyes.

"Fine," Levi bit out, even louder this time, velvety voice shortly echoing through the room.

"After dinner you will return _straight_ to your rooms," Erwin continued, voice rising with each word. "You will not linger in the dining room. You will not linger in the hallways. And you will not address _anyone_ unless they address you first."

"Fine!" Levi snapped, glaring up at Erwin whose hands fell to his sides as he towered over Levi.

"Dismissed!" he barked, _daring_ Levi to undermine his authority by snarking back at him, and Levi didn't disappoint.

"Fine!" Erwin watched as Levi turned on his heel and marched towards the door, shockingly not stomping like an indignant child. What surprised Erwin even more was the fact that Levi stopped before opening the door, turned sharply and saluted perfectly, before turning around again and pulling the door open as though he intended to break it out of its hinges.

Erwin would deny it under the threat of death that he actually winced when Levi slammed the door closed, and he wouldn't admit under the most gruesome torture that he actually breathed out in relief when the _bang_ of the door being slammed shut stopped echoing through the room.

Moments later, as tension finally seeped out of his body, Erwin moved closer to the window and looked out on the street, left eyebrow twitching when he saw Levi walking towards the barracks as though they hadn't almost torn one another apart moments ago.

He snorted, lips twitching up into a smirk even though his eyebrows were still narrowed.

"Kill me?" he muttered, scoffing mockingly. "You'll have to try _very_ hard, _Levi Ackerman_."

* * *

**That's it for this one!**

**This will be a series of connected, short one-shots, each one inspired by the absolutely beautiful work of OriSor (you can find the chapters with photos on my Archive account), who are the ones to blame for pushing me into the bottomless pit of despair and anguish known as Shingeki No Kyojin.**

**I claim no rights to the characters of SNK, or the beautiful art inspiring the chapters!**

**Please, tell me if you liked this, and check out Delusor and ultimate-me! Both of them are incredibly beautiful people and they deserve so much love, so go on! SHOWER them in appreciation!**


	2. Discipline

A nerve twitched beside Erwin's right eye as he stared out the window of his office at the training grounds where Levi was practicing with military issued swords. In just six short days they'd be moving for a new mission outside the walls, and the one man Erwin laid the most trust in when it came to actually fighting against Titans was proving to be more difficult than even _he_ imagined he would be.

_Although_, if Erwin were to be perfectly honest, he couldn't see why the officer he put in charge of teaching Levi how to use the swords refused to see that this quite inventive way of wielding them seemed to fit Levi's fighting style. The small man was quick on his feet, agile and flexible, the unorthodox way he handled the swords absolutely unique and not at all bad if one took into consideration the way Levi fought.

But the man teaching Levi was second in sword-fighting only to Erwin in the Recon Corps, and Levi was showing a concerning amount of disrespect towards the man, although it served to amuse the other members as well as Erwin – although he would never admit it out loud.

Levi must have insulted the man again, or the instructor finally gave up if the way he flailed his hands and waved Levi off was any indication, and Levi turned on his heel and walked away, marching briskly towards the barracks.

A sigh rolled off of full lips when officer Hans Berger made his way towards the main building, no doubt seeking audience with Erwin to complain some more about Levi's lack of respect and dedication to the cause.

The Danchō took a seat at his desk, rearranging his papers and waiting for the inevitable knock, mentally preparing to listen to the more than obviously annoyed man. It came sooner than he expected, and Erwin licked his lips and rubbed his forehead with his right hand before straightening in his seat.

"Enter!" he snapped, the door opening to let Berger in, a furious blush covering the man's cheeks and the utterly comical mustache wiggling under his nose, thick eyebrows narrowed and brown eyes bright with rage.

"I want that man out of Recon Corps!" he shouted before the door even closed behind him and stomped over to stand in front of the desk, hands clenched into tights fists by his sides, whole body completely rigid. "He has _no_ respect for his superiors, he _doesn't _listen to instructions, he completely ignores advice and he-"

"Has been brought here because of his skills," Erwin cut Berger off and the man invented a new shade of red with how hard he blushed. "Levi is more versed in combat than most men in the military and more than _half_ of Recon Corps. He respects those who earn it, and if you actually paid attention to _why_ he uses the swords like that you would have seen that such approach actually compliments his size and style."

"You've seen…"

"Yes," Erwin cut Berger off again and the man went pale, eyes widening at the implication of those three sharply spoken letters. "While Levi's disrespect and disobedience proposes a problem, it won't be one for much longer. He _will_ be joining us on the next mission whether you approve it or not. I've brought him here because he will prove to be a great asset to Recon Corps, and if we want to give humanity a fighting chance then we need strong men like Levi fighting in our ranks."

"He is a liability, not an asset!" Berger shouted angrily, realizing his mistake when he saw a nerve twitch beside Erwin's right eye, the Danchō's hands, resting clasped on top of the desk in front of him, clenching minutely, knuckles already white with the force of his grip.

"Are you questioning my authority?" Erwin spoke in a deceptively calm voice, ice-blue eyes harder than steel, and Berger gulped audibly, quickly saluting the Danchō, gaze focused somewhere above Erwin's head, pointedly avoiding the hard stare.

"No, sir!" he answered sharply and Erwin nodded minutely, taking hold of a file in front of him and ducking his head in clear dismissal. Without saying another word Berger left the office, not hearing Erwin sigh once the door closed behind the instructor.

Blue gaze racked over the table landing on the piece of paper detailing the position of each group of men for their next mission. Erwin stood up and took it, going over everything in his mind, corners of his lips twitching up a bit at the plan taking form.

Levi _would_ prove to be an asset on this mission.

Erwin didn't have a single doubt about it in his mind.

* * *

"Come in," Erwin called out after three strong knocks woke him from his musings and he looked up as the door opened to let Levi in.

The raven-haired man looked as dull as ever, utterly unimpressed, steel eyes scanning the room with clinical detachment, nose wrinkling slightly at the sight of small mountains of files, books, papers and various maps strewn over every available surface.

"How can you find anything in this mess?" he asked instead of greeting, although he _did_ offer a half-hearted salute, perfect as it always was, making Erwin smirk openly at him.

Somehow it was so _easy_ for Erwin to forget about upholding his usual impersonal behavior around Levi. The shorter man was brutally honest and unapologetically blunt at best, and Erwin felt no need to put up any sort of a front when facing Levi, knowing he would get nowhere if he were to attempt such a thing again.

Erwin wanted – no, _needed_ Levi to trust him and respect him. There was not a single doubt in Erwin's mind that Levi would prove to be an irreplaceable asset to Recon Corps, and he had no qualms about doing whatever it would take to make Levi stay.

"I find my way around," Erwin answered lightly and Levi snorted, clasping his hands behind his back and looking at the Danchō calmly, showing absolutely no emotion sans utter boredom.

"You asked to see me?" Levi drawled and Erwin nodded in answer, waving his right hand at Levi, wordlessly telling him to come closer. Levi hummed shortly and walked over to the table, frowning at the map spread on the wooden surface, thin eyebrows narrowing further when he realized that his name was also there.

"I wanted to talk to you about the next mission."

Levi looked at Erwin from under styled bangs, one eyebrow cocked although those grey glaciers were still dull and full of disinterest, "I'm going on the mission with you?" disinterest obviously being a well-practiced _mask_ if the slight change in Levi's tone was anything to go by.

"Of course," Erwin answered in a sly drawl, lips curling into a smirk as he looked at Levi sideways. "I didn't bring you here to make you grow roots in the barracks."

Levi's left eyebrow twitched, right corner of thin lips curling in obvious distaste as he looked at the map again, raising his left hand and tracing the mark showing his position with the tip of a long index finger.

"You would keep a man who swore to kill you by your side in battle?" Levi asked, not deigning Erwin with a glance, and the Commander pursed his lips a bit, observing the smaller man in quiet scrutiny.

"Keep your _friends_ close-"

"And your enemies closer," Levi cut Erwin off and scoffed, walking away from the table and coming to a stop beside the red sofa, finding a spot not occupied by anything and taking a seat there, crossing his arms and legs before he looked at Erwin, expression again unreadable. "You're not as stupid as I thought you were."

Erwin chuckled as he straightened and clasped his hands behind his back. "Blunt as ever," he commented dryly, enjoying the slight twitch of annoyance in Levi's shoulders at the clear dismissal of both Levi's repeated threat and almost unwilling admission, "and if everything goes as planned we shouldn't be forced into battle."

Levi stared at Erwin quietly for a few long minutes, the Commander feeling as though those steely eyes were unraveling him, and while he wasn't sure exactly _why_ he felt so, it didn't exactly bother him.

Levi was a welcome change in Recon Corps. Other members either reverently respected Erwin to the point of not minding to _die_ if he ordered them to do so, or they simply obeyed orders without question for whatever reason.

During the two weeks since Levi joined the Corps, he had no qualms about showing outright disrespect towards those in authority, going so far as to getting into a fight on the very first day of training with a group of new recruits who thought themselves better than Levi.

Suffice to say he put them in their place quickly and efficiently. Even though everyone knew how Levi came to be there, after that small show of his abilities, no one questioned why Erwin brought him in.

That didn't mean Levi was liked among the ranks. According to rumors that reached Erwin, only _one_ person actually took to Levi – a new recruit none the less – called Hanji Zoe, although what Erwin had seen of Hanji's and Levi's interactions, the excitable woman found Levi interesting and worth observing, while Levi thought her annoying, but – to Erwin's slight annoyance – she seemed to have earned Levi's respect.

"What will be our mission then?" Levi asked, shaking Erwin from his musings.

"We'll be making our way south to investigate an old city," Erwin spoke to distract himself from confusing thoughts, showing Levi to come closer. It took the silver-eyed man a moment, but he stood up with a huff and walked over to the table, arms firmly crossed over his chest while Erwin took one of the old maps from under several files and books, placing it over the formation plan, and pointing at a small black dot circled with a red pen.

"That's quite far," Levi commented, squinting at the map, not seeing Erwin nod.

"If everything goes as planned we should reach it within two days," the Danchō explained, tracing the route they would take with his right index finger. "We will spend a night here with the assumption that we will reach the city before nightfall of the second day," he pointed at the smaller dot marking a forest, looking at Levi when the younger man leaned over the map, studying it carefully. "Our goal is to avoid confrontation with Titans until we can secure our position in the city."

Levi looked at Erwin with a searching stare again making it impossible for Erwin to read the younger man's emotions in any way. "You're suicidal," Levi stated firmly and straightened, looking up at Erwin and crossing his arms over his chest again, feet firmly planted at the width of those deceivingly frail-looking shoulders.

The blatant show of disrespect and distrust obviously didn't have the desired effect if the tightening of Levi's thin lips was an indication.

"You're willing to risk the lives of your men just to reclaim a single city which will _still_ be uninhabitable because it's surrounded by Titans," Levi continued, staring in Erwin's eyes defiantly, completely unhesitant in calling Erwin out on this. "This _Long Range Scouting Formation_ is good, but it's not infallible. An Aberrant could break it, or rain could fall rendering the flares useless, and what then? We'd be stranded in the middle of nowhere with no other choice but to _hope_ to make it to someplace where we would actually have a fighting chance."

Levi spoke clinically, although – to his honest surprise – Erwin could hear the feelings behind the words, quite clearly too, and after two weeks of observing Levi from afar, of studying the younger man during his interactions with other members of Recon Corps, both with those of same position and those in authority, even though Erwin didn't realize it until that moment, he had come to understand just what kind of a man Levi Ackerman really is.

And the realization only served as a bigger surprise, because it made something _burn_ within Erwin, the need to have Levi by his side as one of his trusted soldiers and confidants turning into something _more_.

"You ask your men to trust you," Erwin's gaze shifted from thin lips back to Levi's eyes, making him wonder for a brief moment when he actually stared staring at them, "you ask them to follow you without question or doubt, when you're willing to throw their lives away, and for _what_?" Levi growled, hands falling to his sides, curled into tight fists, knuckles white. "A _victory_ that will mean _nothing_-"

Later Erwin would wonder what spurred him into action, especially _this_ sort of action, but at that moment he simply could not muster the self-control and discipline he so prided himself in.

The Danchō stilled at the sight of wide, silver eyes, halting momentarily to appraise their position, a small smirk tilting his lips when he realized that Levi was either too shocked to fight him off or too enraged to do anything.

Erwin chuckled darkly as he planted his hands beside Levi's shoulders, feeling the tightening of muscled thighs against his sides, small, yet incredibly strong hands fisting in Erwin's shirt, although Erwin's superior build and weight seemed to stop Levi from actually pushing the blue-eyed man away.

"I am growing increasingly tired of your defiance, _Levi_," Erwin spoke as he bowed lower, feeling the sharp intake of air and the tensing of the lithe body beneath him. He took a mere second to note that Levi smelled of shampoo and herbs and something entirely unique before focusing on those hate-full eyes staring up at him, _glowing_ with killing intent. "Contrary to what you may have thought of me, I am not a patient man."

Despite himself, Levi swallowed audibly, tip of his tongue peeking out to wet dry lips, glance darting all over the sharp lines of Erwin's face.

"I have been watching you every day," Erwin spoke quietly, a hum of interest lacing his voice, each word dripping with wonder and thoughtful contemplation. "The way you show no respect to _anyone_ in higher position, the way you practice tirelessly every day even though you don't believe in what we're trying to achieve, the way you adjust everything to your own needs without thought or care as to how it will affect the others-"

"Get off of me, you sick ba-" Words died on Levi's tongue, his sudden spur of movement – a weak attempt to get Erwin off of him – quickly ceasing after Erwin grabbed hold of thin wrists, holding them above Levi's head, and raised his right leg, planting his knee on the table and trapping Levi's leg between a strong arm and a muscular thigh.

"You obviously lack military discipline, and yet you're all prim and proper," Erwin spoke in a quiet growl, feeling the shiver which shook Levi's body, something igniting in the pit of Erwin's stomach making him move even closer, the tip of his nose touching Levi's, the younger man's warm puffs of air fanning over Erwin's cheeks sending waves of warmth over his body.

"Tell me, _Levi Ackerman_," Erwin murmured softly, staring deep into those unique eyes, two bottomless wells full of enmity and despise, "what will it take for you to start trusting me?" his words must have shocked Levi because the raven-haired man stopped breathing for a mere second, and Erwin could have sworn that he actually _felt_ the hitch in Levi's heartbeat, making him unconsciously move even closer, flattening his torso with the younger man's, feeling the strong body under him tensing up, every muscle coiling.

"What do I have to do to make you understand your position?" Erwin mused in a quiet mutter, making Levi think for a moment that the Danchō wasn't aware of the fact that he was speaking and not thinking the words passing full lips. "How long with it take for you to put your trust in me; until you start _respecting_ me?"

Levi swallowed audibly, gasping for air, the strong body of the Danchō all but crushing him, but for some strange, _stupid_ reason – for there was no way it could be anything _but_ stupid – he was unable to stop himself from actually _feeling_ Erwin's warmth and strength seeping into him, filling his every pore, lighting every nerve ablaze and beating on the tight self-control, _wrecking_ the walls built to protect him from the world.

Levi tensed up, his eyes widening when he felt a brush of soft lips against his own, his hands fisting on Erwin's shoulders, crumpling the uniform-jacket, not even taking a moment to wonder when Erwin let go of his wrists.

A quick jab of wide hips kicked out what little air there was still left in Levi's lungs, his eyes widening when those lips pressed against his, and the taste of Erwin Smith, the aroma of coffee, and tobacco, and something yet unnamed filling his mouth, the scent of smoke and old books, of dust and something so uniquely _Erwin_, clouding his senses for a brief moment.

Only when those lips disappeared did Levi realize that he had closed his eyes, a shiver of horror passing down his spine as his eyes widened and lips thinned in a furious line. He found Erwin staring down at him with something resembling amusement, blue eyes staring at Levi swirling with so many things the younger man couldn't even _start_ naming them.

"Interesting," Erwin muttered, and Levi's expression went stone cold when the reality of what just happened washed over him. Erwin moved away slowly, not even managing to take a full step back when Levi pushed himself off of the table and hurriedly made his way towards the door, reflexively fixing his rumpled clothes, trying to erase all proof of what just happened, but the burning memory of Erwin's lips pressed against his, of being _buried_ in that scorching warmth would not be pushed away.

"Stop."

Even though the command wasn't sharp in any way, sounding neither demanding nor threatening, Levi stopped in his tracks, left hand already wrapped around the doorknob, and he swallowed a curse, letting go of the knob and turning around slowly, glaring at Erwin with every single piece of raw hatred and despise he could muster.

"You will help Squad Leader Dita Ness and the new recruits to pack our supplies and you will prepare your own gear," Erwin spoke, standing there as though nothing happened, hands clasped behind his back, face expressionless, and shoulders squared. "We move out at dawn the day after tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," Levi pressed out through his teeth, stiffly saluting Erwin before he turned on his heel and grabbed the doorknob.

"And Levi?" the light way with which Erwin addressed Levi made the younger man tense up, right hand clenching into a tight fist by his side. "It seems I've found a way to discipline you. You should be watchful of your actions."

"Don't worry," Levi growled, glancing over his right shoulder at Erwin with eyes darkened with raw hate, "next time you try that, I _will_ kill you." Without even bothering with the salute, Levi pulled the door open, slamming them closed on his way out.

Erwin snorted and shook his head, moving over to stand by the window, waiting patiently to see Levi walking towards the barracks. Observing the small form moving among people hurrying around, preparing for the oncoming expedition, Erwin smirked for himself, raising his right hand to trace his lips with the tips of his fingers.

"I'm looking forward to it…" he murmured, eyes darkening to Prussian blue, "_Levi._"

* * *

**I hope you liked it!**

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	3. Rest

Levi looked to his left when the sound of a flare being shot reached his ears, thin eyebrows narrowing at the sight of red smoke.

"Levi! Fire the green flare south-east!" Erwin ordered and Levi snorted, doing as he was told.

Be it luck or divine providence or whatever, the first day of their expedition went unexpectedly well, the Recon Corps managing to avoid confrontation with Titans and spending a peaceful night in the forest chosen as resting-point by Erwin.

There was not a single man or woman partaking in the expedition that didn't hope that they wouldn't reach their destination without any problems arising.

"Hanji! Move back and inform Ness to tighten ranks!" Erwin called out to Hanji who all but squealed in excitement. "We will reach our destination in less than an hour at this speed!"

"Hai-hai, Danchō!" sang the eccentric woman before turning her horse around, leaving Levi alone with Erwin after the Commander of Recon Corps repeated the order to two others riding at the head of the formation with them.

Levi cursed under his breath and focused on the far horizon. He had managed to avoid staying alone with Erwin until that moment, choosing to spend last night keeping watch first in Hanji's and then in Ness' company, having gotten no sleep at all for the third night in a row. Even though he didn't need more than two or three hours of sleep a night, weariness was slowly catching up with him, becoming visible in the dark smudges beneath his eyes almost as big as a grown man's thumb.

What happened between him and Erwin bothered Levi more than anything ever did. Levi was no blushing virgin, and it was not a secret among his closest friends – Isabel and Farlan, that is – that he preferred the company of men, but the _kiss_ he shared with Erwin was unlike anything he experienced before.

It could be because he wasn't expecting it to happen – although how _that_ could have escaped him was beyond him because, after all, Levi prided himself in his observation skills and situation assessment – and the raw _anger_ he felt at Erwin's daring move burned with the power of a thousand suns.

The first night Levi seriously contemplated sneaking into Erwin's room and just _killing_ the old bastard in his sleep, but decided against it since it would mean his certain death, and while it may not appear so he actually _wanted_ to live, _thankyouverymuch._

The second night Levi had devised a whole strategy on how he could end the Danchō's life without the blame falling on him by making sure a Titan got its hands on Erwin, but that would include a lot of effort so he quickly gave up on it.

And then last night, as he kept watch, he heard the others talk, and their words shifted something within him, much to Levi's chagrin. It's not like he didn't know that Erwin was a well-respected, practically _revered_ leader of Recon Corps. People followed him with absolute trust, _willing_ to devote their lives to Recon Corps and to put them on the line for the sake of humanity.

The others held no doubt in Erwin's decisions, trusting him implicitly with everything, because – if their words held any truth – Erwin's only dream was to see humanity return to former glory by reclaiming its position on top of the world. Erwin dreamed of freeing humanity of the terror known as Titans, of taking back the territories humans once owned, and restoring the glory of human kind.

Erwin was willing to put his own life on the line if it would mean freedom for the whole of human kind, and Levi – albeit hesitatingly and with a _lot_ of disgust at his own admission – couldn't help but respect the Commander for it, especially after living through an almost _sickening_ revelation that Erwin had a habit of seeing every single participant of the expedition after setting up camp, counting heads and making sure his people were safe and sound.

That earned Erwin very, _very_ hesitant respect, although it was laced with a sweet, thick layer of acidic contempt.

"Levi!" said man looked up sharply, shaken from his musings, only to have his eyes widen at the sight of a Titan moving towards them on all fours at a speed he couldn't believe the _thing_ was capable of reaching.

"Damn it!" Levi looked to his right at Erwin in time to see the Danchō fire a black flare, sliver eyes following the spreading of black smoke into the darkening sky, quickly followed by the green smoke showing change of direction.

"Danchō!" the two scouts Erwin sent to the sides earlier came back, their eyes widening and words of shock and horror passing their lips muffled by the thundering beating of overgrown limbs against the ground and flares being fired behind them.

"Danchō, look!" one of them shouted pointing behind them, and Levi's heartbeat stuttered when three more black flares were fired mixing with seven red ones.

"Levi!" the raven-haired man managed to tear his gaze off of the quickly approaching deviant class only to meet harsh blue orbs of Erwin Smith. "Fire the green flare at your three o'clock! Tala! Sven! Dispose of the Titan!"

"Yes, sir!" the two turned their horses towards the Titan while Levi fired the flare, nudging his horse to keep up with Erwin, eyebrows narrowing at the focused stare and the steel in the Commander's eyes.

"Where are we going?!" snapped Levi, glancing over his shoulder at the retreating forms of Tala and Sven turning away after seeing them jump off of their horses and use their 3D Maneuver Gear to climb the Titan expertly. "We're deviating too much from our designated route!"

Receiving no answer, Levi just glared at Erwin, trying to come up with an explanation on his own. He remembered the old map quite well, and the only thing in this direction that would offer a _semblance_ of safety was an old ruined village, just rocks upon rocks and barely standing walls. They couldn't use their Maneuver Gear there, risking their damaging and injuries, not to mention the possibility of more Titans waiting for them there.

There was another forest beyond the village, but they would get slaughtered before reaching it.

Levi's head snapped up at the sound of a flare being fired, eyes widening at the green smoke spreading into the darkening sky. They practically did a 180 degree turn, and Levi felt a spark of something surge through him when he saw the deviant Titan fall, only for his heart to sink into his stomach when he saw only one man running towards a horse and quickly climbing it, the other horse having joined his rider in death.

"Danchō!" the terrified scream made both Levi and Erwin look behind, and Levi realized that their ranks have tightened, the others running away from the Titans while some engaged into battle, managing to bring a few of them down.

"Tala! Run to the back! Keep the supplies down the middle and the scouts around them!" Erwin shouted his orders, and Levi felt bile fill his throat at the blatant dismissal of Sven's demise.

Looking over his shoulder he saw scouts carrying Erwin's orders to everyone, the squadrons quickly changing formation to protect their supplies, the Titans closing in on them from behind.

"Danchō!" the voices of Mike, Ness and Hanji reached Levi's ears and the three caught up with them, Erwin glancing at them over a hunched shoulder.

"The deviants were taken down, but more are coming!" Ness reported, eyes wide, although he was somehow managing to keep calm. "We've sighted two ten meter class Titans closing in on us from the north!"

"Mike! Take your squadron! Stick to the right!" Erwin ordered, ignoring Levi's scrutinizing stare. "Ness, stick to the left. Signal the red flare when the ten meter class catch up to us!"

"Yes, sir!" the two ran off leaving Hanji with Levi and Erwin, the woman glancing at Levi, eyes wide behind glasses with confusion because of the dark glare marring Levi's face.

Levi growled and focused on the way in front of them, sighting their destination standing as a questionable possibility of shelter. Despite knowing that there was no time to say anything about Sven's death, despite knowing that they had to reach shelter soon, the fact that Erwin showed no reaction stung.

And yet Levi couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration for the Commander, the respect that started sparking to life within him growing just a bit, because the man he watched going around the camp exchanging words with every single person – all two-hundred people – was now trying to think of a way to bring all of them to safety.

Levi's trail of thoughts was broken when the ground shook, breaking through the haze of screams coming from behind them mingling with massive bodies falling as the Titans were slayed, and silver eyes widened at the sight of the Titan emerging from the light of the setting sun.

Whatever curse he wanted to utter died on Levi's tongue when he realized that the 15 meter class Titan stood between them and possible safety.

"Hanji!" Erwin snapped and the woman startled so much she almost fell off of her horse.

"Yes, sir!" she screeched, voice breaking with fear.

"Keep riding towards the city!" Levi's eyes widened at the order, his heart skipping a beat when Erwin turned towards him. "Levi! You're with me!"

"Aa," he answered without realizing he opened his mouth, nudging his horse to follow Erwin, the two of them charging towards the Titan.

The ground shook beneath them as they approached it, the Titan towering over them casting a threatening shadow over Erwin and Levi.

"Distract it!" Erwin ordered and Levi scoffed at him, but the awakening respect he felt growing for Erwin made him obey the order.

Falling into practiced ease, Levi activated his 3D Maneuver Gear, the hooks digging themselves into the smoldering flesh of the Titan, and Levi darted into the sky, a slight smirk tilting his lips when the familiar, weightless feeling washed over him.

He caught sight of Erwin riding around the Titan, and Levi managed to avoid a colossal hand aiming to grab him in the last moment, quickly deciding to focus on the Titan, coming to a gut-wrenching conclusion that he would have to trust Erwin to do his part of the job if he wanted to survive this.

* * *

Erwin glanced up, a smirk tilting his lips at the sight of Levi flying through the air as though he was born to wield the 3D Maneuver Gear. The new style of using the swords was truly proving to be amazing, the flesh of the Titan fuming where Levi cut him, doing his utmost best to buy Erwin time to kill the Titan.

_'Well, I can't let all that effort go to waste,' _thought Erwin to himself, smirk darkening as he activated his gear and darted into the sky. He climbed higher and higher, aiming for the nape of the Titan's neck.

Just as he flew past the right shoulder of the Titan, spinning high in the air to gain enough momentum, he looked down and his eyes met Levi's, the second seeming to last a whole life-time, and just before he started falling he thought he saw Levi nod at him minutely.

_'Must be my imagination,'_ he thought as he readied his blades and dived to deal the killing blow.

* * *

Levi watched in morbid fascination as blood sprayed into the sky like petals of a red rose dancing in the wind, at the Titan let go of a thundering roar before it started to fall. Levi quickly maneuvered himself higher, landing on the Titan's shoulder and grabbing a hold of its ear to gain balance, looking down in time to see Erwin fasten the hooks of his gear into the Titan's shoulders and lean back to soften the impact of the fall.

Looking over his shoulder, Levi saw the squadrons entering the city going for the central palace which was the only building in the city with walls high enough to give them a semblance of higher ground. Seeing the ground approaching quickly, Levi activated his gear to jump high into the air, landing safely a fair distance away from the Titan moments before it hit the ground, the dust rising around it blinding Levi and making him raise his hands to protect his eyes from flying pieces of earth and dissolving flesh.

It took several long minutes for the dust to settle, and Levi sneered at the sight of his dirtied uniform, huffing as he discarded his broken blades and placed the controllers in their proper place.

"Levi!" he heard Erwin call for him just as he whistled for his horse, the well trained steed neighing and quickly emerging from the settling dust. Levi climbed it quickly, looking around to see Erwin riding towards him.

"What?" Levi drawled dryly ducking his head and making his sweat-mated bangs fall over his eyes when Erwin was close enough to hear him. "We should catch up with the others," he spoke as he nudged his horse into an easy strut, passing beside Erwin and missing the small smile which tilted the Danchō's lips.

Erwin swallowed thickly and looked back, eyes darkening at the sight of decomposing bodies of Titans they left behind. Even though they were too far for him to see, Erwin only needed to close his eyes to envision the bodies of his fallen comrades.

"Your efforts will not be in vain," he spoke into the wind, unaware of a pair of watchful silver eyes observing him from a small distance.

* * *

"Hanji!" the woman jumped in her place and turned around to see Erwin walking towards her having already checked up on survivors and given orders on which squads would keep watch first. "Have you seen Levi?"

"Levi?" she questioned, looking at Erwin with wide eyes before she tilted her head to the side. "I've seen him disappear behind the stables after helping Dita and the others with the supplies."

"Help me look for him," Erwin said and she nodded hurriedly, "I need to talk to him."

"This way, Danchō!" she said enthusiastically and all but hopped in front of Erwin, leading him to the houses located behind the stables.

There were people all around them, some still setting up camp since there was not enough room for all of them in the palace, so it was decided that the squadrons in charge of food and other supplies would remain in the palace while squads in charge of keeping watch would remain outside.

"Did you see where he went?" Erwin asked when he saw the line of fifteen doors, each leading into separate chambers once inhabited by servants of the palace.

"No," Hanji drawled in obvious annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting, although not a second later a grin split her face and she looked up at Erwin. "I'll start from the other end, alright?" she cheered enthusiastically and Erwin nodded, turning on his heel and walking to the last door in the row.

Opening it, he found the rooms empty, stale air hitting him followed by the stench of rotten flesh, the sight of dead mice making his nose wrinkle a bit. He closed the door and moved on to the next one, finding it in much the same condition.

He had to note though, that the rooms weren't all that bad, the furniture showing signs of being good quality a long time ago.

The following four doors led to more empty rooms, and just as he was about to open the next one a hissed 'psst' made him look up and he found Hanji waving him over, grinning so brightly that it made him wonder how her cheeks didn't hurt.

As he walked over to her she crossed her lips with her right index finger, giving him a sign to be quiet. As Erwin stepped into the doorway he found out why. This room seemed to be in a good condition, the window in the back open wide to let fresh air in, and even though dust covered every surface and there were cobwebs in every single corner, at least there were no dead animals anywhere in sight.

_'Figures he would choose this room,'_ Erwin thought, struggling to keep his expression impassive.

"Please don't wake him up, Danchō," he looked at Hanji when she spoke up and cocked an eyebrow at her. "I don't know what you need him for, but if it's something I can help with, I'll do it. Just let him sleep."

Erwin's eyebrows climbed almost to the line of his hair when Hanji looked at the form of Levi sprawled on the sofa in the middle of the room. A small smile tilted her lips as she stared at him, clasping her hands behind her back.

"He hasn't slept last night at all," she spoke in a quiet whisper, something _no one_ in Recon Corps thought her capable of, "and I doubt he got any sleep the night before we moved out as well. He usually sleeps for only two or three hours so I think he'll wake up soon enough."

Hanji looked up at Erwin, finding him staring at her with an expressionless face, offering only a small nod of acknowledgment and showing no other reaction to the small discovery.

"See if Dita needs help with supplies," Erwin said and Hanji nodded hurriedly, "and get some rest as well."

"Yes, sir," she answered and saluted quickly before running off, leaving Erwin alone in the doorway.

When he could no longer hear her running footsteps, Erwin walked into the room and closed the door on his way in, glancing at the glass oil-lamp casting dim light over the room.

He looked back at Levi, a kind of warmth settling in his chest as he looked at the lithe from. Levi's right hand was resting on his stomach, left curled beside his head on the armrest, and the man was facing away from Erwin, black strands of hair falling into closed eyes. His left leg was bent, knee resting against the backrest, foot tucked under the right knee, left leg lying flat on the sofa.

Even in the weak light, Erwin couldn't help but notice that Levi changed into a clean uniform, quickly locating the dirty one neatly folded on a barely standing cabinet in the back of the room, raising an eyebrow at the bowl of dirtied water with a few towels in it.

Returning his gaze to Levi's sleeping form, Erwin walked closer to him, crouching beside the sofa and bracing his elbows on his knees, entwining his fingers between them. He tilted his head to the right, observing the lines of Levi's face, scrunched up in a scowl even in sleep, noticing the darkened smudges under the younger man's eyes and quietly cursing himself for not seeing them sooner.

Erwin raised his left hand, gently brushing the strands of damp hair away from Levi's face, the left corner of his lips curling upwards when thin lips parted to let a soft sigh pass them.

Slowly kneeling on the ground, trying not to make a sound, Erwin folded his right arm on the sofa, intently staring at the closed eyes, short black lashes brushing pale cheeks and thin lips, the taste of which has been haunting him for the past four days.

Rising up on his knees, Erwin wrapped his right hand around the top of the backrest, slowly inching closer until he could feel each puff of warm air fanning over his lips. Not hesitating in the slightest, he pressed his lips against Levi's, a surge of content and excitement passing down his spine, warmth settling in the pit of his stomach, senses dulling until the only thing that really mattered in that moment was the taste of Levi.

He moved back a bit, eyes still closed, and licked his lips, suppressing a moan which threatened to roll off of his lips.

"I thought one needs to be awake to be disciplined," voice hoarse from sleep broke the deafening silence, and Erwin slowly opened his eyes meeting orbs of shadowed silver. "And you stink," Levi added dully, drawing a dry chuckle from Erwin who cocked an eyebrow at the younger man.

"You didn't hand in your report," he stated and Levi scoffed, closing his eyes and turning his head towards the backrest, away from Erwin.

"I'll hand in the damn report in the morning. Let me sleep," he grumbled tiredly and turned his back on Erwin who sighed and shook his head before climbing to his feet.

"I'll send someone to get you in the morning," Erwin spoke as he made his way towards the door. "Get some sleep."

"Sure," came the muffled answer and Erwin stopped in front of the door, right hand wrapped around the knob.

"And, Levi?" he called out to the already half-asleep man, glancing over his left shoulder at the huddled form.

"Huh?" Erwin snorted and shook his head.

"This will be the last time you go any amount of time without sleeping, is that clear?" he spoke, although his voice sounded in no way commanding. "I lose enough good men because of Titans. I don't need to lose more because you don't know how to take care of yourselves."

Not expecting to get an answer, Erwin opened the door to make his way out, only to halt mid-step when a murmured reply reached his ears, making a smile tilt his lips.

"Sure… _Danchō…_"

* * *

***sigh*… These two…**

**And yes I'm talking about both Eruri and OriSor.**


	4. Amicable? Or more?

"Have any of the teams reported back?" Erwin asked, looking up from the plans strewn around him when the door of the room Levi had chosen as his opened to let the raven-haired man in, and Erwin didn't need to see Levi's face to know that there was a sneer twitching there just behind the expressionless mask the younger man showed to the world.

"Two teams reported from scouting the west side of the inner circle saying they've found nothing yet," Levi answered, marching over to the sofa and bending down to pick up one of the plans Erwin came up with, giving it a scrutinizing once-over before taking a seat on the sofa. "Mike and Hanji took two more teams out, and Ness is waiting for others to report back to hand out rations."

"Good," Erwin answered distractedly, putting the drawn plan to the side and taking another, taking a good look at it, thick eyebrows narrowed thoughtfully, not even noticing the pair of shadowed silver eyes staring at the back of his head.

"That one won't work." Erwin's head snapped up and he looked over his right shoulder at Levi who threw the plan he was holding to the side, crossing his arms over his chest, closing his eyes and turning his head slightly to the right. "It places the new recruits too close to the front lines. Put them as scouts instead. Their chances to survive their first expedition are bigger that way."

A soft, quiet, short laugh made Levi open his eyes and look at Erwin dully, seeing the Commander nod minutely in agreement. "I've been thinking that too," he said before he sighed and discarded the plan, "but we've lost a lot of good men who knew how to fight. We will need to spread the ranks out more on our way back if we want to bring as many home as possible."

Levi stared at the Danchō for a long moment, contemplating his words, only to huff and stand up. "Move," he muttered and Erwin looked at him with a raised eyebrow, receiving only a shooing wave of the younger man's left hand.

Smirking, Erwin stood up and took a seat on the sofa while Levi crouched, glance racking over the remaining formation plans until settling on one of them. "This one could work," he said and took a seat on the ground much to Erwin's amusement, but Levi didn't notice as he studied the formation. "This puts the new recruits as scouts while placing the more experienced men on the outer edges." Levi squinted at the drawn formation, humming thoughtfully, only for his nose to twitch and for him to look over his right shoulder at Erwin, glaring at the cigarette held in the Danchō's left hand.

"Do you _have_ to smoke here, old man?" Levi bit out, receiving only a cocked eyebrow in answer. With a huff, Levi turned to the formation plan in his hands, doing his best to ignore the puffs of smoke. "Anyway, the only problem with this one is that it will be difficult to protect the supplies and gear if you place all the experienced men on the outer edges of the formation."

Erwin hummed as he squinted at the formation plan in Levi's hands, nodding for himself in quiet agreement. "We could combine this one with that one," he said and pointed at the formation plan right in front of Levi, accepting the one the younger man held into his right hand while Levi took hold of the one pointed to him.

"This could work," Levi muttered and leaned back, planting his right foot firmly on the ground, left leg bent and flat on the floor, and Erwin's eyes widened when Levi perched his right elbow on the Commander's right knee. "If you split the more experienced soldiers between the outer edges and around the carts, we'll have a solid defense."

Levi either didn't notice Erwin's momentary shocked state or he chose to ignore it, but never the less, the simple sight of Levi leaning onto him placed a smile on Erwin's face, and without really thinking about it, Erwin leaned forward pressing a lingering kiss to the crown of Levi's head, making whatever the younger man wanted to say die on his tongue.

Erwin merely smirked and raised an eyebrow when Levi tilted his head back, looking up at Erwin with a dull stare, but he could no longer fool the Danchō; not anymore.

"I still hate you," Levi spoke dully and Erwin laughed, placing the cigarette in the ashtray on the armrest to his left before he cupped Levi's chin and tilted the younger man's head back, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead.

"I know," he murmured against the soft skin. "And one day you _will_ kill me."

Levi snorted when Erwin moved back, caressing the sharp edge of Levi's chin with the tips of his fingers before taking the cigarette again, watching as Levi ducked his head, but not in time to hide the blush tinting his cheeks from the Commander.

"Damn right I will."

* * *

**Short, but sweet, right?**


	5. Death Is Not So Bad

"Danchō, all teams are ready to depart once the scouts return," Mike informed Erwin, receiving a minute nod, the two standing on top of one of the corner towers making the wall surrounding the palace.

"If nothing is found today we will start packing," Erwin spoke, looking at Mike whose eyebrows narrowed. "We can't stay here for too long. We risk running out of supplies for the way back."

"Danchō?" the two men turned around and found Ness walking towards them. "Levi and his team have returned and the second scouting team has been sighted as well."

"Tell them to come to the armory to give their reports," Erwin said and Ness ran off, the Commander and Mike making their way down the stairs to the armory. "Mike, go to your squadron. Cover as much ground as you can today."

"Yes, sir," Mike marched away to join his men while Erwin continued on his way to the armory, looking up when he heard already familiar sounds of Hanji talking everyone's ears off in that shrill, overly-loud voice. He stopped and clasped his hands behind his back, turning around to see Levi walking in front of the group he had been sent with to scout the borders of the city, the group made entirely out of new recruits.

"Danchō, danchō!" sang Hanji as she hopped over to Erwin who raised an eyebrow at her when she stopped in front of him looking up at the Commander with wide open, excitement-filled eyes, a grin splitting her face in two. "You should have seen it! We've ran into Titans on the outer edges! Heichō killed _six_ of them all on his own!"

Erwin's eyebrows met the line of his hair as he looked at the group seeing Levi let go of a long, suffering sigh as he rubbed his forehead with his right hand. "Heichō?" Erwin inquired, turning to Hanji again, seeing her nodding fervently.

"Hai, hai, hai!" she cheered pointing at Levi, "_Really_ big ones! All six of them seven meter class! Heichō killed all of them without needing any assistance!"

Finally connecting the dots, Erwin looked at Levi who answered with a dull stare, and Erwin merely hummed, looking at the new recruits standing behind Levi, all four of them looking both terrified and awed, but mostly sheepish.

Erwin remembered their expressions of poorly concealed distrust he had seen earlier that morning when they were told that Levi would lead their group to scout the outer borders of the city. All of them except Hanji were more than obviously displeased with having to follow Levi's orders. They all but left Levi behind when they were sent beyond the palace walls and yet now they all stood behind him as though they would fall to his feet.

Eld Jinn, Gunther Shultz, Oluo Bozado and Petra Ral, if Erwin wasn't mistaken, and it appeared as though he just found perfect people to work under Levi at least for a while.

"Do you have anything to report?" Erwin asked, seeing that Levi was close to snapping someone's head off.

"I need to talk to you," Levi spoke, marching past Hanji and leaving the others behind, and Erwin nodded his head at them, receiving tense salutes from the five recruits before following Levi into the armory. He found the raven-haired man standing by the table they fixed up to the best of their abilities, pouring himself a cup of tea.

Levi's cloak was already hanging neatly off of the back of a wooden chair, and he took a seat at the head of the table, taking a long sip of the lukewarm drink.

"Did something happen?" Erwin asked as he came to take a seat in front of Levi who crossed lean legs and perched his right elbow on the back of his chair, the cup of tea cradled in his left hand.

"We should hurry up with scouting the town and get the hell out of here," Levi spoke in a dull voice, a frown marring Erwin's face at the shadows swirling in the younger man's eyes. "Today there was only six of them, but soon enough more will come and some of them will be deviant class as well. If they manage to surround us, we won't make it out of this city, and we only have enough supplies to last us another four days."

"I've been thinking that as well," Erwin answered and Levi looked at him with narrowed eyebrows. "If we don't find anything more specific on Titans today, we'll start packing up. With everything we've gathered so far - books and scrolls - we'll be forced to travel slower. It could take us three whole days to reach Shiganshina, and that will be if we'll travel the first night at a steady speed without stopping to rest."

"Then it's settled," Levi muttered and finished his tea, placing the empty cup on the table. He stood up and took his cloak off of the back of his chair, but before he could walk past Erwin, the Danchō stood up, grabbed a hold of Levi's left forearm and stopped him, making the smaller man turn around and look up at Erwin who towered over Levi, blue eyes darkening with shadows.

"You didn't tell me why Hanji suddenly calls you Heichō," he said, gaze racking over Levi's face as though the answer could be found in the lines of the younger man's face.

"You'll have to ask _her_ that," Levi muttered, "and while you're at it, tell her to stop." Erwin cocked an eyebrow at Levi, bowing lower over the shorter man.

"Why should I?" Erwin asked, nudging Levi's nose with the tip of his own, not missing the hardly audible grunt which escaped the raven-haired man or the slight shiver which shook the small, yet incredibly strong frame. "You've brought all five of them back safe and sound."

"I'm not their leader," Levi countered, eyebrows furrowing further when a smirk tilted Erwin's lips.

"You _could_ be," he muttered, lips brushing against Levi's, tongue peeking out to trace the seam of a thin bottom lip.

But before their lips could connect, the sound of bells ringing broke the sounds of movement coming from outside, and the two jumped apart before rushing out of the armory. They climbed the wall, aware of people running around and gathering their 3D Maneuver Gear, ready to receive orders.

It didn't take long for them to see what started the alarm.

Titans of several smaller classes, fourteen of them if their quick counting was right, were closing in on them, and among them were three deviant class, approaching at neck-breaking speed.

"Levi!" before Erwin even managed to speak the younger man's name in full, Levi was gone, running to the armory to get his gear.

"Danchō!" the Commander turned on his heel seeing Ness and Mike running towards him, and in a second Erwin put aside all plans he had made and started coming up with a new one.

How to survive the attack of Titans…

* * *

"Heichō!" looking over his shoulder with a glare already in place, Levi saw Hanji and other four following after him, all six of them landing on the closest roof.

"Heichō, what do we do?" Hanji asked, glancing at the quickly approaching deviant and three seven meter class Titans.

"Can you take care of the deviant?" Levi asked, glancing from Hanji to the other four, receiving hesitant nods. "Then do it. Leave the others to me." Before either of the five could complain, Levi jumped off of the roof, charging at the closest Titan, leaving behind the gaping group of soldiers.

"Well!" the other four looked at Hanji when she clapped her hands and chirped happily. "Let's catch ourselves an abnormal!"

* * *

"Berger! Where is Levi?!" Erwin snapped, meeting up with Berger on top of one of the walls, taking a quick look around. The Titans were falling, their losses surprisingly small, but the Titans were still coming, more and more of them being deviant class which wasn't working in their favor.

"Last I've seen him he took a group of five and they've been hacking down Titans beyond the north wall!" Berger answered - eyes wide and skin pale - and Erwin scowled at him.

"And why are you still here? Where is your team?" he asked, but the only answer he needed - to know what Berger was still doing there while their men fought and died beyond the walls - was the way Berger recoiled and raised his arms as though to protect himself from a hit. "When we return to HQ, I expect your letter of resignation," Erwin bit out, preparing to launch off of the wall. "If you survive until then, that is."

* * *

Levi landed on top of a wall closest to the armory, immediately locating the prepared gas tanks and moving to replace his almost empty ones.

"Heichō!" he looked up reflexively, frowning at the familiar face but unfortunately not remembering the man's name. _'Why did he call me that either way?'_ he thought briefly, straightening when the man stopped right in front of him, bending forwards as he tried to catch his breath.

"What is it?" Levi asked, frowning at the man.

"Sir, we have a problem!" the man blurted out. "The group at the southern wall is facing two ten meter class and a deviant ! We've already lost six men! Berger was among them! We'll lose the wall if nothing's done!"

"Isn't there anyone to take Berger's place?" Levi asked, fastening his gear, eyes darkening when the man shook his head.

"No, sir! Danchō is leading a group at the western wall and they have enough on their hands as it is!"

"Levi-heichō!" Oluo landed beside them and Levi looked at him, growling as he glanced around.

"Oluo, take the other four and finish what we've started beyond the north wall, then join Mike's or Ness' group and help them clean up. I'm going to the southern wall."

"Yes, sir!" Oluo wasn't even done saluting Levi when the man flew away, the other man staring after him with obvious confusion.

"Since when is he captain of a squad?" the question made Oluo look at the man standing beside him, only to raise his head and look down at him scornfully.

"As of today, of course," Oluo answered haughtily and jumped back into action, not waiting for the man to answer.

They had Titans to kill.

Everything else could wait.

* * *

Levi landed elegantly, another Titan falling to his blades, and harsh, dark gray eyes racked over his surroundings, eyebrows narrowing when he saw the others taking down the only two remaining Titans at the southern wall.

"Return to the palace," he addressed the man standing closest to him, receiving a confused nod in answer, but before Levi could say more, the sound of an explosion and a stone building collapsing drew his attention towards the west, his eyes widening and air hitching in his lungs when he saw a familiar form barely avoiding the hand of a deviant in time, landing on a roof and jumping away right before the huge thing landed on top of it.

"Erwin…" Levi breathed out, not even realizing he spoke aloud, heart all but stopping when the Titan attempted to swat Erwin off of the nearby bell-tower. And in that moment, when Levi saw that Erwin didn't maneuver away from the Titan, he figured out what was wrong.

Erwin's 3D Maneuver Gear was broken.

"Erwin!"

* * *

Erwin raised his arms to shield his head from falling debris, avoiding bigger chunks of stone and jumping onto the closest roof only to slip and fall, landing on his back. The Titan towered right above him, raising a hand to grab him, and for some reason Erwin couldn't move.

He knew he had to get up. He knew he had to run. He knew he had to get out of there.

But he couldn't.

Staring at the deviant, its form concealing the brightness of the sun, Erwin had a strange thought. He thought he was looking at the face of Death.

The grotesque mouth of the Titan stretched into a horrifying grin, something akin to a dull, muted grunt passing the monster's disgusting mouth, and it moved to strike.

And just as Erwin thought it was over, a familiar voice filled with more emotion that he ever thought possible reached his hears, a blur of movement, deadly and precise, flashed past him, silver blades glimmering in the sun, and in less than it takes to really breathe in and out, the Titan was falling, its blood spraying over Erwin.

Wide blue eyes stared at the slight form of Levi standing on the roof across from Erwin, head bowed and fringe casting shadows over silver eyes.

Erwin could hear the distant sounds of battle, voices shouting 'we're almost done' and 'there are only a few left', mixing with screams and roars and the sounds of stone houses falling to ruin.

But Erwin paid none of it any attention. He had eyes only for Levi. Only for those hunched shoulders, hands wrapped tightly around the controllers, knuckles white with the force of the grip, whole body rigid and coiled as though the raven-haired man was ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"Get out of here," Levi bit out and vanished in a second.

But Erwin was too shocked to move, because in that second – in that brief moment when Levi turned from him - Erwin caught sight of the younger man's eyes.

And he honestly didn't think that he had ever seen such sadness before.

* * *

Erwin walked briskly towards Levi's room. As though their situation wasn't bad enough it started to rain a few hours ago, the sky so dark it might as well be nighttime, even though it couldn't be later than five in the afternoon.

For the past hours Erwin has been running around the camp, assessing their losses, making sure they would have enough supplies to last them until they returned to Shiganshina, and organizing repair teams to make sure their gear worked perfectly.

And all the while he has seen neither hide nor hair from Levi.

The single glance at Levi's eyes he caught before the younger man disappeared from sight still wouldn't leave Erwin alone, and he feared it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Coming to a stop in front of the door leading to the room Levi chose as his on the first night, Erwin froze up, hands clenching into fists by his sides, thick eyebrows narrowing and eyes darkening with shadows.

Swallowing thickly and licking dry lips, Erwin decided to forgo knocking and opened the door, marching in only to stop mid-step when he found Levi sitting in a rickety chair by the window, looking out into the pouring rain, only the oil-lamp on the cabinet beside him offering weak light.

Levi seemed almost relaxed, as though nothing at all happened, but Erwin has gotten to know the younger man, and he could see that Levi was _furious_. He sat there, arms and legs crossed, faint reflection showing an expressionless, indifferent face, but eyes the color of molten silver spoke volumes of dark thoughts.

"What do you want?" Levi asked in a monotone, something the Commander hasn't heard since that time they spoke in Erwin's office.

"I was looking for you," Erwin spoke almost hesitatingly and took that final step into the room, closing the door behind him, and walked over to stand a safe distance away from the younger man, although in all honesty, the only thing he wanted was get over there and do something – _anything_ – to get a reaction from Levi.

"You found me. Get out," Levi answered, not a single trace of emotion in his voice, and Erwin actually winced, remembering that same voice call his name seconds before the Commander thought he would meet his end.

"Levi, we need to talk," Erwin took another step closer to Levi, forcing himself to swallow over the pile of something yet unnamed clogging his throat, voice thick and hoarse, and Levi turned his head to the side, glancing at Erwin from the corners of his eyes.

The silence was deafening, and for the first time in a long while Erwin felt uncomfortable. His palms were clammy, the Commander unable to resist the nervous gesture of rubbing his fingers with his thumbs behind his back, feeling beads of sweat on the back of his neck and temples.

It took every single drop of self-control Erwin had to stomp on the need to shift in his place like a schoolboy waiting for punishment when Levi stood up and faced the Commander, staring up at him from under narrowed, thin eyebrows, lips thinned in an agonized line.

Levi's hands fell to his sides, clenching into tight fists, and a ripple of something passed over the slight form.

Levi moved faster than Erwin thought was possible without the maneuver gear, and less than a second later, Erwin was sitting in the couch, his right cheek pulsating with pain, eyes wide and staring at Levi who stood in front of him virtually fuming.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Levi hissed, anger such as Erwin has never seen etched into every line of Levi's face, underlain with worry and white, hot, searing _fear_, something Erwin thought he would never see in those silver eyes.

There was no fear in them when Erwin came for Levi in the underground city. There was no fear in them when they encountered the first Titan when they started this expedition. There was no fear in them when he and Levi took down that huge Titan in front of the city, and there was no fear in them when the alarms sounded that morning.

But there _was_ fear in them now, and Erwin realized that all that fear was for _him_.

"You were supposed to stay behind the walls," Levi pressed out through tightly clenched teeth, fists trembling minutely by his sides, shivers wrecking the slight frame. "You were supposed to be behind the walls organizing us!" silver eyes turned as dark as the sky during a storm, yet somehow ten times more frightening, Levi's voice rising in volume with each word passing his lips. "You are Commander of Recon Corps; you're supposed to _lead us_!"

"I will not ask my men to do something I'm not ready to do!" Erwin insisted, slowly rising, only to fall back against the couch when something seemed to snap in that rage-full stare.

"Then ask _me!"_ Levi thundered stunning Erwin into silence and making him swallow his words. "Do you have a death wish, you stupid old man, because I'll be happy to kill you if you do!" Erwin stared as Levi flailed angrily, staring straight in wide, bright blue eyes. "I thought you were smarter than this! I started _respecting_ you! And then you do something as _irresponsible_, something as _idiotic_ as _this_! You're supposed to be _behind_ the lines, telling _us_ what to do! Mike and Ness were on the same side of the wall because you weren't there to tell them the southern wall was falling! My team handled their side, but _you_ should have been the one to tell us to move to the western wall when we finished!"

Levi's shoulders rose and fell with each fast intake of breath, an angry blush coloring his cheeks, eyes more alive than Erwin thought they could be.

"You're the _leader_ of Recon Corps! You're supposed to _bring us all home_, not _die_ like-"

Unable to listen to this anymore, Erwin did the one thing that came to mind, grabbing flailing hands and pulling Levi forward, slamming his lips against the younger man's in a kiss that said more than words ever could.

When Levi tried to pull back, Erwin let go of one thin wrist and cupped the back of Levi's head, grabbing a fistful of raven strands and keeping the raging man in place. Not bothering to ask, Erwin deepened the kiss, a grunt escaping him at the taste filling his mouth, a spark of warmth igniting within him when Levi ceased his struggles, allowing Erwin to pull him closer.

Levi slipped between Erwin's parted legs, his left hand fisting on the Danchō's shoulder and right settling on one strong, muscled thigh as he kneeled on the couch. Erwin leaned against the backrest, their lips meeting again and again in ever lighter kisses, the air thick with something neither could describe, warmth such as they never felt enveloping them like a woolen blanket, separating them from the rest of the world.

Letting go of a wavering breath, Levi pulled back a bit, steel eyes meeting dilated blue orbs. Erwin heard Levi swallow thickly, thin lips slightly swollen and pale skin tinted with a light blush, and the Commander shivered when a small hand cupped the side of his neck, a trembling thumb tracing the rising and falling Adam's apple as Erwin forced himself to swallow.

"I'll be your will, you perverted idiot," Levi pressed out tightly, pressing the tip of his thumb in the hollow of Erwin's neck, licking his lips when a big, warm hand settled on his waist. "I'll fight for the both of us. You just make sure we all make it home." Levi connected their foreheads, silver eyes slipping closed as tension slowly seeped out of his body. "The only way you're allowed to die is by my hand, you stupid old man."

A smile tilted Erwin's lips and he nodded minutely, nudging Levi's nose with the tip of his own.

Dying by Levi's hand didn't sound bad at all.

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked it and that you'll enjoy the next chapter as well! :D**

**I fell in love with these two first because of OriSor (well, my sister introduced me to them, and I kind of love/hate her for that, because it's not like I didn't have enough OTPs to bring me into a writing frenzy on occasion) and then after surrendering to the need I've been resisting for _months_ and watching Attack on Titan.**

**There's just SO MUCH that can be done with them!**


	6. We Will Return Home

Awareness rarely came slowly to Erwin upon waking up, the Danchō usually having to start on his day pretty early in the morning, so it came as a surprise to him that for the first time in a while he woke up slowly, first becoming aware that he wasn't sleeping on the cold stone floor of the room he chose for himself on their first night in this old city.

The second thing he became aware of was the lingering warmth of the small space beside him, quickly followed by the scent he associated with only one man.

He woke up completely when he realized that he was alone. He sat up slowly, his green cloak slipping off of him and pooling in his lap, eyebrows rising when he realized that he was – as a matter of fact – naked. A smirk tilted his lips when the memories of what happened last night flashed through his mind and he hummed as he stretched before getting up, quickly locating his briefs, trousers, socks and boots and getting dressed. He reached for his shirt only to notice a suspicious lack of his uniform jacket, a shiver passing up his spine when the entrance door creaked and a gust of cold air entered the room.

Not bothering to pull his shirt on, Erwin grabbed his cloak and made his way towards the door, the cold wind nipping against his skin as he looked around quickly locating Levi. The younger man was standing in the drizzling rain beside an old well, looking up at the dark sky. Erwin couldn't even tell if the sun was out or not.

The leather of his boots squeaked as he slowly walked towards Levi, noticing the interesting lack of people around them and concluding that it was still much too early for anyone but the guards on the walls to be awake, and the two of them were too deep in the compounds of the palace to be seen by anyone unless someone came looking for them.

"You really don't sleep long, do you?" Erwin spoke in a way of greeting receiving a dull hum as an answer, a smirk tilting his lips as he came to stand behind Levi, raising his cloak above both of them we the rain started to fall harder again. "You took my jacket," he commented, ducking his head a bit to bury his nose in the damp, peculiarly _fluffy_ black strands smelling of rain and standard issued shampoo.

"It was closer than my own," Levi answered in a quiet murmur and Erwin's heart beat just a bit faster when the smaller man leaned back against him, eyes still pointed at the sky although it was now obscured by the green cloak. "We can't travel in this rain," Levi commented in a voice hardly louder than a whisper, right hand brushing back against Erwin's thigh before settling by Levi's side, and the Heichō hooked his left thumb under his belt, hitting his head back against Erwin's chest.

"Let me think about what we'll do and how we'll get home," Erwin spoke, eyes slipping closed as he bowed down to kiss the crown of Levi's head, a smile tilting his lips when he caught his own scent clinging to the shorter man, knowing enough about Levi to conclude that he hasn't taken Erwin's jacket because it was a few meters closer than his own. "I thought you hated how I stink sometimes," he murmured, feeling the shiver which wrecked the slighter form.

"I've gotten used to it," Levi answered, right hand falling against his side as he slowly turned towards Erwin, and the Danchō laughed quietly, lowering his arms, his hood falling almost perfectly in place on his head as he wrapped the cloak around both of them, wrapping his arms around Levi and feeling his skin burn when the people-appointed captain placed his hands on the small of Erwin's back.

Levi's eyes slipped closed as he rested his head on Erwin's broad chest, pressing his left ear against the soft skin and listening to the strong beating of the Commander's heart.

"I'll bring us home, Levi," Erwin murmured, his hold on Levi tightening. "You just follow my orders, and we'll all return home."

"Whatever you say," Levi answered quietly, burying himself in the taller man's warmth, "_Erwin._"

* * *

**Short and sweet!**

**…**

**At least I think it is.**


	7. The Rain Stopped

"Make sure everything is packed. We will need to move out the moment rain stops falling. Dismissed," Erwin concluded the meeting of captains watching them trailing out of the armory one by one until only he and Levi remained in the room.

"If it doesn't stop soon we'll have to risk it," Levi commented and Erwin stood up, walking over to the closest window and looking out at the cloudy sky. They haven't seen a single ray of sunlight in close to two days. Thankfully there were no more Titan attacks, but their biggest enemy now was their ever dwindling food and fresh water supply. "Even if we ration it as much as possible, we'll run out of food and drinking water by the day after tomorrow."

"I know," Erwin answered, clasping his hands behind his back and taking a deep breath through his nose, holding it for a moment before breathing out, tense shoulders relaxing for the smallest of fragments. He heard the 'clank' of the empty porcelain cup meeting the table and he glanced over his left shoulder to see Levi standing up.

He walked over to stand to Erwin's left, looking at the dark skies, eyebrows narrow, eyes as dull as ever, and lips slightly pursed.

"We could make two teams go out into the forest on the west side of town and hunt for meet," Levi mused and Erwin nodded in agreement although the Heichō wasn't looking at him.

"If the rain doesn't stop by nightfall we will have to," Erwin spoke firmly, cocking an eyebrow when Levi sighed and shook his head rubbing his forehead with his right hand making Erwin frown. "Is everything alright?"

Levi snorted and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "There are some people who are worried that we won't make it back," he said. "They are less afraid of running out of supplies – which is our biggest problem now – than running into Titans on our way back because the flares will be difficult to see in this weather."

Erwin observed Levi for a few long moments, and then he hummed and moved away from the window. "Walk with me," he said, suppressing a smile when he heard the hardly audible fall of small feet against the stone floor trailing just a few steps behind him.

Erwin grabbed his cloak off of the back of a chair along the way and pulled it on, walking out on the street and covering his head with the hood before glancing back, eyebrows narrowing when he saw that Levi only had the standard uniform on.

"Where is your cloak?" Erwin asked as they moved towards the front entrance, soldiers glancing curiously in their direction.

"I had to wash it since it got dirty and it hasn't dried yet," Levi answered dully and Erwin couldn't help but smirk at him, yet again amazed that there was such a – how did Hanji call him? – _clean freak_ in his ranks.

"Danchō!" the two stopped in front of the door when Mike ran over to them. "Are you going out?"

"I decided to scout the outer edges of the city with Levi-heichō," Erwin spoke calmly, his tone betraying absolutely nothing, and Mike looked at Levi with a slight scowl, the shorter man remembering the first time he met Mike and was introduced to the strange greeting the man gave to everyone he met, sniffing them profoundly before smiling for himself and not saying anything at all.

Levi respected the man for being a good, strong soldier and for not asking many questions, although the man rarely spoke as it were.

"Only the two of you?" the strange man asked more for the sake of confirmation than being noisy and Erwin nodded sharply.

"Levi here has been named Captain by his fellow soldiers," Erwin spoke, granting Levi a sideways glance and suppressing a smirk at the disinterested snort Levi let go of before crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from the Commander. "I wish to see for myself if he truly earned the title."

"Yes, sir," Mike answered and Erwin continued on his way towards the entrance, Levi following a few steps behind.

"You are in charge while I am gone, Mike!" Erwin called out over his shoulder, the two picking up 3D Maneuver Gear from where it has been stashed by the entrance in case they needed quick access to it.

Fastening their gear quickly and efficiently, Levi and Erwin waited for the door to open and then walked past the wall, making their way down the wide street leading away from it. The only trace of the battle from two days ago was blood on the walls and destroyed buildings, the others having already taken care of the bodies of their fallen comrades.

The rain was falling in an annoying drizzle, although it could start falling harder again any minute as it seemed, bright flashes of lightning followed by the occasional sound of thunder breaking the deafening silence of the dead city.

"What is this about, old man?" Levi drawled after they walked a fair distance from any prying ears, and Erwin glanced over his left shoulder at the raven-haired man, light blue eyes glimmering brightly for a moment.

"Do I have to have a reason to ask you to take a walk with me?" Erwin asked.

"Since the situation demands your attention and that we be ready for anything, I don't think this was smart," Levi muttered, receiving only a hum in answer.

After another fifteen minutes of walking in comfortable silence, Levi glanced over his shoulder, noting that they were by then out of sight and approaching the outer edges of the city.

"Something Hanji said earlier caught my attention," Levi looked at Erwin when the man spoke up, thin, black eyebrows narrowing as he waited for Erwin to elaborate on his thoughts.

"You mean when she mentioned that we haven't sighted a single Titan since this stupid rain started," Levi spoke dryly, glancing around at the ruins surrounding them.

"Precisely," Erwin confirmed taking a right turn once they passed the city limits, Levi continuing to follow the Commander walking a few steps behind him. "It agrees with our knowledge that Titans are less active during nighttime."

Levi cocked an eyebrow at the Danchō's back, realizing what Erwin was subtly implying. "Are you saying that you're thinking about starting on our way back before the rain stops?"

"I'm saying that I think we should make our way back before the sky clears," Erwin answered and came to a stop, making Levi halt as well, the Heichō ducking his head with a small thoughtful frown marring handsome features, not seeing Erwin looking up at the sky just as rain started falling harder again.

Being lost in thought, Levi was surprised when he heard the fluttering of the coarse material making their uniform cloaks. He looked up just as the cloak settled around his shoulders, staring at the smirking face of his Commander while Erwin fastened the clasp under Levi's chin before fixing the hood over the shorter man's head.

"There…" Erwin muttered, brushing back a few strands of black hair, tips of his fingers tracing thin eyebrows. "Better," he spoke, the whole episode leaving Levi speechless and stunned, making him hesitate before following after Erwin who already walked a small distance away.

Huffing in annoyance, Levi ran forward, grabbed a hold of Erwin's right forearm and pulled him along, the Commander staring after him in slight shock. "Idiot," Levi bit out, taking a sharp turn into a narrow alleyway, Erwin having to run sideways to avoid hitting the stone walls while Levi had no problems navigating their cramped surroundings despite carrying the Maneuver Gear.

They ducked into a wider street finding shelter in a sort of a tunnel, stopping in the middle of it just as rain turned into a straight out downpour.

"Perfect," Levi muttered into his chin, letting go of Erwin to lower the hood of the Commander's cloak and shake out what water he could before he leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "For a man who usually comes up with brilliant plans, you are an idiot."

Erwin chuckled quietly and shook his head, slowly walking over to Levi after taking off his maneuver gear. "Maybe this was my plan all along," he spoke suggestively, making Levi look up, silver eyes darkening when Erwin came to stand in front of him, blue eyes full of mysteries.

Gazes remaining locked, Erwin reached down to relieve Levi of his own gear, neither actually hearing the sound of metal hitting the cold ground.

"You're a pervert, old man," Levi muttered, slowly placing his hands on Erwin's waist as the taller man took hold of the handsome face from which two orbs of darkened silver stared up at him.

"That is not what you should call me when we're alone," Erwin spoke in a hoarse voice, thumbs caressing the tender skin right under those harsh eyes which seemed to be able to see straight through every possible shield and mask Erwin worked hard to create to make it possible for him to climb to his current position. Levi could see straight through all of it, seeing the man Erwin truly was.

"So it's alright for me to call you that in front of the others?" Levi teased dryly, lips tilted in a smirk, although it wasn't as harsh as it usually was, a light blush already tinting otherwise pale skin.

Erwin's lips tilted into a smile which couldn't be described. There was something tender in it, something warm and kind, and yet at the same time the lines of the Commander's face were laced with sadness.

Cupping Levi's cheek within his left hand, Erwin traced thin lips with the tips of his fingers, taking a gentle hold of Levi's chin to tilt his head back.

"I would say that you shouldn't, but I know that you will defy me," Erwin whispered, shadows swirling in darkening blue eyes, and Levi felt a shiver pass down his spine, all harshness disappearing from the lines of that handsome face making him look years younger, eyes widening slowly as though he just came to a startling realization.

But instead of commenting on it, instead of speaking words which would hold no meaning or purpose, Levi merely smirked and nuzzled his cheek against the callused palm cradling it. "Then you'll just have to discipline me, _Erwin_."

Unable to think of an answer and finding words sorely unnecessary, Erwin did what he yearned to do since yesterday morning. Their lips met in a harsh kiss, small hands fisting on Erwin's back, crumpling his shirt.

The back of Levi's head hit the stone wall when Erwin started littering nips and kisses down his chin, faintly hearing the light fluttering sound of the cloak falling off of his shoulders. Big, warm hands traced slim, muscled arms, fingers wrapping just above Levi's elbows, a gasp leaving thin lips when blunt teeth bit the tender skin under his left ear, silver eyes closing to the world.

There was a fire igniting deep within Erwin's soul, a raging inferno he never felt before in his life, an all-consuming blaze surging through him, devouring him whole. If there was such a thing as hell, then Erwin knew that it was not made of fire, but of ice, because if he would ever lose this, if he would ever allow this flame to go out, he would find himself alone in a world of endless winter, and he knew he would never know warmth again.

Levi gasped, slim hips twitching forward when those strong hands grabbed hold of his thighs and hefted him up, holding him against the cold wall as they slipped up to his ass. His hands fisted on broad shoulders just as Erwin's lips covered his again, and he wrapped his legs around Erwin's waist, grabbing the collar of the jacket and pushing it down muscled arms.

Erwin huffed, parting his lips from Levi's and flattening his body with the smaller man's to hold him against the wall while helping him get the jacket off, a surge of desire shaking his body when he felt Levi's awakening need against his own through the layers of clothes. The jacket didn't even touch the ground and Erwin's hands were already on Levi's thin waist, feeling the defined muscles created by hours of tireless practice rippling under his fingers.

Erwin dragged his hands up Levi's sides, feeling the small hands grabbing fistfuls of hair moments before thin lips covered his own, blunt teeth biting into Erwin's bottom lip before sucking on it, and a growl rumbled in Erwin's chest, a need such as he thought himself incapable of feeling burning in the pit of his stomach.

Levi found himself gasping for air each time those wide hips would roll against his in urgent, abrupt thrusts, his senses sharpening and focusing on everything that was Erwin and losing sight of everything else.

This was far from what he thought his life would be, but he couldn't find a single complaining bone in his body. He finally understood why Erwin wanted him. He finally understood what Erwin was searching for and what brought him to Levi.

Erwin needed someone to contradict him. He needed someone to ground him. He needed a man who wouldn't obey his every order without question, who would call him out on bullshit and tell him when he crossed the line. Erwin needed someone he could trust with the lives of his men and his own life, and who was better suited for that than someone who lived the life of a rebel all the while aiming for something bigger, something better, carrying not only his weight but that of many others.

Levi finally understood what this was all about. Yes, to a point Erwin needed Levi to trust him, he needed to know Levi would obey and listen when the time came, but this wasn't about Levi. This was about Erwin finally having someone _he_ could trust without a doubt, and while he _did_ go abound it the wrong way, Levi couldn't think of any other strategy to win him over.

Drowning in Erwin's warmth and strength, feeling the man coming undone in that small tunnel with the rain pouring as though it wanted to drown the world and all its imperfections, Levi finally found his place.

It was not what he desired by a long shot, but he couldn't complain, not when he had Erwin Smith in his arms, clinging onto Levi's smaller body as though he would never let go.

"Damn it…" the curse rolled off of Erwin's lips in a coarse, thick voice and he moved back, Levi's feet meeting the stone ground, the younger man losing his balance and almost falling when his knees gave under him, but in the next moment a strong hand wrapped around his right elbow and pulled him along.

Even though it took Erwin less than a minute to locate the closest door leading into an old house, still they were drenched to the bone by the time they were inside. The stone chamber they found themselves in had two windows, but neither was open, although if one could judge by the bouts of cold air sweeping the room, there was an opening for air on the upper floor.

Neither Erwin nor Levi took long to study their surroundings though. Levi's jacket met the dusty floor in a second, thin, nimble fingers already working diligently on freeing Erwin of the leather straps, metal buckles clacking against the stone under their feet. The wooden cot in the far corner of the room looked solid enough, but neither cared, too busy exchanging heated kisses and trying to rid the other of clothes as fast as possible.

They parted for long enough to tug their boots off, the scene almost comic as they struggled with them in their hurry, but the moment they were done they moved towards one another like two magnets of different polarities, inevitably drawn together. Levi pushed against Erwin's chest and the Commander sat down on the old wooden cot, both of them ignoring the creaking whine echoing against stone walls. Erwin took a firm hold of Levi's hips and pulled the younger man between parted thighs, dilated silver eyes looking down at Erwin as the Commander released Levi of the leather straps.

Once they were gone, lying already forgotten on the floor, Levi unraveled his cravat, the light fabric falling to the ground with a hardly audible flutter. Swallowing thickly, Levi swayed in his place as Erwin's hands settled on the younger man's thighs, slowly slipping up. The sash around Levi's hips was quickly removed, followed by his belt, and those strong hands continued their exploration, darkened blue eyes cutting everything into memory.

One after another, Erwin tugged the buttons of Levi's shirt out of their holes, slowly revealing pale skin stretched over firm muscles. The first time everything was rushed, neither taking time to truly appreciate the other, but this time the sound of rain falling assured them that there was no need to hasten anything.

Levi never thought himself a patient man. He did things quickly, avoiding any sort of delay, and if it were up to him, things would have already moved on, but one look in Erwin's eyes, one glance at the parted, full lips, and even Levi had no heart to rush.

Erwin looked up at his lover as he slipped his hands under the white shirt, dragging them up and pushing it off of slim shoulders, the sleeves gathering around thin wrists. Levi raised his hands, taking a step closer to Erwin, cupping the handsome face of the older man within them, swallowing audibly when those big hands settled on the back of his thighs right under his ass.

The air in the chamber suddenly became heavy as Levi bowed down, locking their lips together in a soft, slow kiss, both the action and the tender response sharply contradicting everything they knew about one another.

When Erwin rubbed his hands up and down Levi's thighs, the raven-haired man straightened, tilting his head back with a quiet groan, whole body trebling when an open-mouthed kiss was placed on his right collar bone, another following close behind, landing just under the hollow of his neck, surprisingly soft lips trailing lower as callused hands came to rest on Levi's waist, thumbs tracing the skin stretched over slightly protruding hip-bones.

A smile tilted Erwin's lips when trembling hands grabbed fistfuls of his hair as he closed his lips around a hardened nipple, rolling it between his teeth shortly before giving it a light lick and moving on to the other at the same time tucking his fingers inside the waistband of Levi's trousers, teasing the obvious bulge in the front with his thumbs and shivering at the audible, sharp intake of air.

Levi was hardly aware of Erwin unbutton the trousers, wet lips leaving burning trails on the younger man's skin. Never the less, when his trousers and boxers were pushed down to his knees and those big, scorchingly warm hands caressed his thighs on their way up only to cup the firm globes of Levi's ass, the silver-eyed man bit back a moan, hardly managing to keep himself on his feet.

Not a moment later a startled gasp escaped Levi, eyes snapping open as he bent forward, the feeling of wet heat closing around the head of his member kicking the air out of his lungs and robbing him of strength. His left hand fisted on Erwin's shoulder, right remaining clenched in blond, soft strands of hair, the only thing stopping him from crumbling to the floor being the hold Erwin had on slim hips.

The Commander opened his eyes and looked up from under thick eyebrows, his cock twitching within the confines of his pants at the sight of brightly blushing cheeks, half-lidded dilated eyes, raven strands mussed and sticking in every-which direction, well sculptured body glistening with beads of sweat.

A choked up grunt escaped kiss-swollen lips before Levi bit into his bottom lip, a shiver wrecking his body when Erwin sucked on the head of the young man's hard length, teasing the slit with the tip of his tongue, taste-buds bursting from the aroma that was purely _Levi_.

"Gah!" Levi choked out bending over Erwin as the Commander slowly started bobbing his head, wrapping his left arm around Levi's thighs to keep him standing while his right hand slipped between them to fondle the younger man's sack.

Levi couldn't form a coherent _thought_ much less press out anything resembling a sensible sentence or even a word, struggling to fill his lungs with air. Every single effort flew right out the window though, when Erwin took all of Levi into his mouth and swallowed around him, moaning at the bitter taste of pre-come, and it took every single _atom_ of strength and control Levi still had to stop himself from spilling down the Commander's throat.

Levi all but sagged in relief when Erwin moved away and tilted his head back, raising his right hand to cup the back of Levi's neck and pull him down into a kiss. Annoyance all but blinded Levi when he attempted to straddle Erwin's lap, his clothes getting in the way of that, and he heard Erwin let go of a strained, quiet laugh, immediately moving back as big hands settled on Levi's right knee.

He helped Levi take off his trousers and briefs while Levi took his shirt off, struggling for a moment with the sleeves gathered around his wrists. Before Erwin could do anything else, Levi climbed the older man's lap, making Erwin lean back, nimble, long, callused fingers doing quick work of popping the buttons of Erwin's shirt out of their holes, before those harsh hands slipped under the shirt and pushed it over strong shoulders.

Tucking his left knee between Erwin's thighs, Levi dragged his nails down the muscled chest and stomach of his older lover, kissing down his chin and neck, tongue darting out to taste salty skin as he moved lower, a shiver passing down his body when Erwin grunted and arched up after blunt nails scraped over his hip bones, small, right hand cupping his cock through the trousers, palm pressing into it as Levi slid lower.

Planting a lingering, open-mouthed kiss on the bulge in Erwin's pants, Levi slipped between parted thighs, avoiding looking up at Erwin as he quickly took off the Commander's socks, tracing muscled legs with the tips of his fingers before reaching the belt and leather sash.

They were removed with clinical expertise, making Erwin wonder shortly how Levi managed to stay so collected even in this situation, but he didn't linger long on those thoughts, a sigh of relief escaping him when his trousers were unbuttoned. He braced himself back on his hands, raising his hips so Levi could slip the offending clothes off of Erwin.

Losing what little patience he had left, Erwin didn't wait for Levi to climb his lap again, grabbing hold of thin wrists and pulling the silver-eyed man up, making Levi grunt and glare in annoyance, although he quickly forgot about it when Erwin leaned forward and slammed his lips over Levi's, taking a firm hold of the younger man's hips.

Even if he had the time and concentration to consider the actions Erwin had to take for them to end up in this position, with the Commander looming over Levi's slighter form, callused, warm hands tracing muscled planes of Levi's body, the younger man ignored it all in favor of entwining his fingers in already tussled blond strands and snapping his hips up against Erwin's, swallowing the moan of passion and desire which escaped the older man as their weeping members rubbed against one another.

A hiss escaped Levi, the hard, time-worn wood beneath him feeling rough against the skin of his back, but he practically forgot all about it when his thighs were grabbed by those rough hands and raised up, Levi reflexively wrapping his legs around Erwin's waist. He dug blunt nails in the muscles of Erwin's shoulders when the man started littering smoldering kisses over Levi's chest.

Erwin's left hand took a firm hold of Levi's hip as he kissed and nipped down Levi's chest and stomach, leaving behind unnamed constellations of little bite-marks which would fade soon enough, and he raised his right hand to Levi's lips, placing his index and middle finger over them, shivering when Levi opened his mouth and sucked them in, coating them heavily in saliva.

Suppressing a groan when Levi gasped and arched up after Erwin licked the younger man's achingly sensitive member, Erwin pulled his fingers out of Levi's mouth and moved lower, biting the inner side of Levi's right thigh as he slipped his right hand under the younger man, tracing Levi's entrance with the tips of his saliva-slick fingers.

Even though Levi knew what was coming he couldn't stop the slight tensing of his body or the hiss escaping him, feeling one thick finger pushing past the tight ring of muscle leading inside him, but Erwin didn't disappoint. Warm, succulent lips wrapped around the head of Levi's cock, and Levi raised his hands over his head, fingers wrapping around the wooden headboard, old wood creaking under the strength of Levi's grip.

Twisting his finger inside Levi, Erwin opened his eyes and looked up to the best of his abilities, his heartbeat stuttering at the sight of the younger man, every single bit of Levi's self-control, every single carefully crafted mask and shield falling apart and fading into nothing as he surrendered to pleasure.

A sense of pride filled Erwin at the thought that _he_ did this to Levi, that _he_ was the one – the _only_ one who had the honor of seeing the younger man coming undone like this. Pulling his finger out he rotated his head a bit, his neglected length twitching at the choked up gasp that passed thin, rosy lips, the pleasure of having his prostate rubbed in a promising touch making every muscle in Levi's body coil, blazing warmth settling in the pit of his stomach, threatening to overwhelm him.

Adding of another finger caused Levi to arch almost completely off of the bed, biting into his lip to stop the embarrassing sounds wanting to escape him, although he couldn't suppress the grunt of annoyance when his cock slipped from Erwin's mouth and the man climbed over Levi to loom over him, bracing his weight on his left hand as he moved his fingers in and out of Levi, feeling the constricting heat slowly relaxing.

Erwin leaned down and licked a drop of sweat trailing down Levi's temple, moving his fingers that much faster and drawing a sound of urgency from Levi, the Commander grunting when a small hand grabbed a fistful of his hair, lips meeting harshly, teeth clacking together.

Unable to hold back any longer, Erwin moved back and pulled his fingers out of Levi, hearing the displeased grunt, and he spit into his hand, spreading the saliva to the best of his abilities over his hard member.

Levi sat up quickly, startling Erwin into recoiling, the Commander sitting back on his legs, and Levi climbed Erwin's lap, moving his left hand behind himself and under, taking a firm hold of his older lover's cock, tugging Erwin's head back to deepen the kiss.

Erwin took a firm hold of Levi's thighs, his grip so strong it was bound to bruise pale skin, feeling the tip of his cock nudge against Levi's entrance. It took all of Erwin's self-control to stop himself from snapping his hips up to sheathe his aching length within that welcoming heat.

Levi rested his forehead on Erwin's, breathing deep and strained, whole body trembling, blunt nails digging into the muscles of Erwin's left arm.

Both held their breaths when Levi started lowering himself on the rock hard member, lips falling open and eyes pressing tightly shut. Erwin tightened his hold on Levi when it seemed the younger man would try to rush, stopping his silver-eyed lover from causing himself unnecessary pain.

Erwin started thrusting slowly, each time moving deeper and deeper inside the tight heat. Levi bit into his bottom lip, feeling every centimeter of Erwin's hard length as it moved within him until his ass touched Erwin's hips and an electrifying surge of pure, searing pleasure burst up his spine, kicking what little air still remained in his lungs out.

"Levi…"

"I'm fine," Levi bit out, but the tight grip he had on Erwin's arm, his nails digging into it hard enough to draw blood, belied his words. He trembled when Erwin slowly slid his hands up quivering thighs and to Levi's thin waist, slipping to the small of his back, fingers lightly digging into the tense muscles before trailing up along Levi's spine.

Erwin nudged Levi's nose with the tip of his own, teasing the younger man into a light kiss with nips and kitty-licks, drawing a silent groan from the silver-eyed man. He flattened his hands on Levi's shoulder-blades before dragging them down again, feeling the smaller man slowly relaxing within his hold. Levi deepened the kiss, his left hand slipping from Erwin's hair and falling to one strong shoulder before cupping the Commanders thick neck and tracing the sharp edge of his chin with the tip of a thumb.

Erwin hissed and tensed up when Levi moved unexpectedly, rolling his hips, the tight warmth constricting around Erwin's hard length, and dilated blues opened when a soft snort broke the haze of deafening need, meeting sly silver eyes, pupils blown and glowing with something indescribable.

It felt as though time stilled for a moment, small hands rising to cup blushing cheeks of the Recon Corps Commander, thumbs caressing strong cheekbones, and Levi leaned closer, pressing his lips against Erwin's in a kiss that could be described as chaste and yet it was so much more, a promise, an oath, a wordless offering of loyalty, of respect and understanding, and something that was not yet love, but had the immense potential of becoming.

When Levi slowly rose to his knees, Erwin placed his hands on the slim waist, grunting when the smaller man lowered himself on the thick member, the two finding a slow rhythm within moments.

Levi's forehead came to rest on Erwin's left shoulder, eyes closed and lips falling open, soundless gasps escaping him as pleasure surged through him. He had never felt this full, never felt as though there was no place he would rather be than in this small, torn-down house in the arms of a man he thought he would hate forever, allowing Erwin to hold him like this, no masks or shields or lies between them.

The fire burned within Erwin, igniting every single atom of his being, bringing him ever closer to the peak, the flame eating away on everything he was, everything he _is_, and creating something new, something stronger. He had known that bringing Levi to the Recon Corps would change many things, but he never thought it would change him in this way.

Erwin hadn't taken a lover for more than a single night ever since he joined the Recon Corps, not wanting to bond with someone in this way because he never knew if he would return from the next expedition alive. But now, holding Levi in his arms, their bodies moving in sync ever faster, reaching new heights of pleasure together, Erwin knew that he would never be able to let go of this.

Yes, no one would know about them. No one would know what they had. But Erwin and Levi would know. They would have one another no matter what, and they would give the other strength to fight, to look for a way to bring humanity to former glory.

Erwin will be the one who plans – who thinks of ways to bring them all home safe, and Levi would be the one who would fight for it. Two parts of the same whole; two sides of the same coin.

The air filled with muffled, choked up gasps, with the sound of skin meeting skin muted by rain falling against stone and glass. The pace quickened, Erwin reaching between their heated bodies with his right hand to wrap it around Levi's neglected length, the moving of their bodies becoming quick and abrupt, until it all erupted into perfect calm, two utterly different men falling against one another, trembling within the other's hold.

Neither knew for how long they just sat like that, both unable to move, simply breathing together, soaking the warmth of the other in and letting it etch itself into the very core of their beings.

Levi was the first to move, slowly rising to his knees, nose wrinkling as Erwin's member slipped out of him, but before he could move away, Erwin wrapped his arms around Levi's waist and pulled him closer, hiding his face where neck met shoulder, a small smile tilting his lips when Levi stilled.

"Just one more minute," Erwin muttered in a hoarse voice, feeling a shiver ripple over the lean body. He closed his eyes when thin, strong arms wrapped around his shoulders, and Levi rested his forehead on the side of Erwin's head.

For a few long minutes both were quiet, neither one knowing what to say nor wanting to say anything, perfectly content with the comforting silence. Levi raised his head, feeling that something was wrong, thin, black eyebrows narrowing as he looked around, his actions making Erwin look up as well.

"What is it?" Erwin asked, his hands falling to Levi's hips.

"The rain stopped falling," Levi muttered and slowly climbed off of Erwin, quickly gathering his clothes and starting to put them on, frowning distastefully at the drying proof of their actions on his stomach and between his thighs. "We should make our way back," he commented as he finished buttoning his shirt, hurriedly putting his pants on and fastening them with his belt.

He found his cravat and donned it around his neck, but before he could tie it properly, two big warm hands settled on his hips, and the strong, still naked body of his Commander flattened with his back.

Levi's eyes widened, a shiver trailing down his body when he felt Erwin lick the back of his neck before pressing a lingering kiss there, the tip of Erwin's nose trailing up into short, black, damp strands of hair.

"Erwin-"

"I know," the Commander cut him off, the strength of Erwin's closeness slowly disappearing. "Next time."

Levi looked over his left shoulder at Erwin, watching defined muscles ripple under taunt skin as Erwin moved around, gathering his clothes and putting them on. A small smile tiled Levi's lips, disappearing quickly as though it was never there when Erwin looked at him.

"Hurry up," Levi muttered and finished tying his cravat. "I'll get our gear." With that Levi left the house, not seeing Erwin still, following Levi with an unreadable gaze. Seconds later Erwin snorted and shook his head.

Whatever they had, whatever burned between them, while it wasn't what Erwin wanted when he came for Levi, apparently it was something both of them needed.

And even though Erwin knew it wouldn't be easy, even though he knew that this _thing_ between them could prove dangerous for both of them, could distract them when it could mean either life or death, he couldn't make himself care. This fire burning within him threatened to erase everything else, threatened to consume him whole, but Erwin had neither strength nor will to fight it. Not when he felt stronger, more confident than he ever felt before.

Whatever price he would have to pay to have Levi with him for as long as they both would live, it could never be too high. Together they _would_ restore humanity to its former glory, even if the flames would consume them in the end.

Because Erwin would rather suffer the flames, he would rather burn in the devouring inferno of passion, than return to the cold, lonely existence he didn't even knew he lived in before Levi entered his life.

* * *

_"Some say the world will end in fire,_  
_Some say in ice._  
_From what I've tasted of desire,_  
_I hold with those who favor fire._

_But if it had to perish twice_  
_I think I know enough of hate_  
_To say that for destruction ice_  
_Is also great_  
_And would suffice."_

_\- Robert Frost_

* * *

**I don't know why, but this chapter took incredibly long to write.**

**And I'm not too sure I'm all that happy with it, but oh well….**

**They can't all be winners.**


	8. Together

_This was the boy I loved. _  
_A little bit messy._  
_A little bit ruined._  
_A beautiful disaster._  
_Just like me._

_-Michelle Hodkin, 'The Evolution of Mara Dyer'_

* * *

Levi slipped around a corner walking towards the main building of Recon Corps HQ. After two days of running towards Shiganshina, managing to avoid Titans with only four confrontations they were safe.

Unfortunately most of what they managed to gather at the old city was lost because they ran into big areas of mud, unable to bring their carts through them and being forced to leave a great deal behind as not to risk being exposed for too long.

The rain followed them until they entered the wall of Shiganshina, stopping only a few hours back. The men were relieved to have come back home, rushing to their families and friends while Erwin and his captains went to hand in their reports.

Levi didn't go with them, remaining in the barracks, although no matter what he did, he couldn't find rest. It's been three hours since he and Erwin parted ways after two days of constantly being surrounded by the others.

Now, no one figured out what was going on between them, both Levi and Erwin managing to act themselves, but right then Levi's annoyance was slowly turning into something worse. He knew that Recon Corps weren't exactly appreciated by the higher ups, and that they were just _waiting_ for them to make a mistake which would mean their disbandment.

This time they at least came back with _something_, but it would mean very little if the higher ups didn't find what information they managed to bring at least _somewhat_ useful.

But that wasn't the only thing Erwin had to report about. Levi's sudden promotion to captaincy happened without following proper procedure, and the problem arose in the fact that his entering into Recon Corps didn't follow regulations. Technically Levi couldn't be captain of a squad, but since he was already admitted as one, Erwin decided to do his best to keep Levi in that position, determined to have the raven-haired man by his side.

Levi came to a stop in a small alleyway, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms over his chest. The headquarters were unusually empty, everyone else having either retreated to the barracks or gone home to their families.

From this place Levi would see the moment Erwin came back, having already given up on waiting in his room or Erwin's office – after cleaning both to perfection.

He hit his head back against the wall and let go of a long breath, silver eyes slipping closed as everything that happened in the past weeks ran through his mind in flashes of images and sounds.

He's come a long way since he joined the Recon Corps, almost to the point of making it all seem like some strange, unrealistic dream, although he couldn't complain. He had a purpose in life, not all that different from the one he had before, when he was trying to do his best to come to the surface after years of helping people in the underground city.

He now shared a common goal with people willing to lay their lives down to achieve it. If they manage to find a way to defeat the Titans, if they manage to liberate humanity of that terror, then there would no longer be a need for the underground city, and all those who live down there would be able to move to the surface.

Children would be able to see the sunlight. There would be less sickness and despair, less corruption and greed. So much would be achieved if humanity could just reclaim what it once owned.

With Erwin's leadership and Levi's strength, the possibility of human kind finally freeing itself of shackles of fear seemed more like reality than a commonly shared dream.

"So we will wait until the skies clear?" Levi's eyes snapped open when Ness' voice reached his ears and he heard three pairs of familiar footsteps coming in his direction, looking to his right in time to see Erwin, Mike and Ness walking pass him, neither glancing down the small alley to see Levi standing there.

"We will move for our next expedition in three weeks," Erwin answered and Levi's eyebrows narrowed. Even though Erwin might have sounded normal to the others, Levi could hear that something was wrong.

Quickly calculating that Erwin and the other two were moving towards the main building, Levi chose the quickest route to reach it before them, not seeing the way Erwin glanced over his right shoulder, catching sight of the smaller man disappearing down another alleyway.

It took less than three minutes for Levi to find himself in a small passage to the right of the main building, glancing around a corner and seeing Erwin, Mike and Ness coming to a stop, close enough for Levi to hear their conversation.

"Ness, make sure the horses are taken care of. When your squad comes back go through our supplies," Erwin spoke calmly, hands clasped behind his back, nodding when Ness saluted him firmly and ran off, and Erwin turned to Mike. "Go home," he told him, "get some rest. We've all earned it."

"Hai, Danchō." Mike saluted Erwin and walked away, and Levi moved back into the shadows of the alley, watching Erwin's shoulders rise and fall as he took a deep breath and let go of it.

"I know you're there, Levi," Erwin spoke calmly, and even though Levi didn't know why, the moment Erwin turned towards the alley Levi was hiding in, the raven-haired man pulled back, a smirk tilting his lips and his heart beat just a bit faster, and he disappeared into the shadows, silver eyes glimmering with amusement.

* * *

Erwin started a slow prowl towards the alley, barely holding himself back from shivering with excitement. But the moment he walked into it he froze mid-step.

The alley was empty.

Eyebrows narrowing in a frown and lips curling downwards in confusion, Erwin slowly walked further into the alley, listening for the smallest sound of movement. But even though he listened, he wasn't ready.

"You're dead." Erwin couldn't say the weight of the body mounting his shoulders put a lot of strain on him. He rested the back of his head on Levi's stomach, feeling the smaller man hook his feet on Erwin's waist.

A small smirk tilted Erwin's lips when small, callused, slightly chilly hands cupped his face and Levi leaned forward, silver eyes meeting amused blues.

"You got me," Erwin muttered, and Levi cocked an eyebrow, expression dull, although Erwin could see amusement hidden deep beneath indifference; amusement and worry. "Everything went according to plan," he said, sparing Levi the need to ask the question.

Even though Levi's expression didn't change, Erwin could see that his words managed to ease the appointed captain's cleverly concealed worries. And then happened something Erwin didn't expect.

Levi caressed Erwin's cheeks with his thumbs, feeling the beginnings of stubble, and a small, hardly visible smile tilted his lips as he bowed forward, pressing a lingering kiss to Erwin's forehead.

Erwin chuckled quietly as Levi moved away and cocked an eyebrow at the Danchō, and even though to someone else Levi would seem expressionless and cold, Erwin could clearly see hundreds of feelings flashing through those absolutely unique eyes.

"Do you intend to stay up there all day?" Erwin asked, placing his hands on Levi's thighs.

"I have nothing better to do," Levi drawled in answer, folding his arms on top of Erwin's head, making the Commander huff. Levi looked up towards the sky, frowning when he saw that the clouds started to clear, sunlight finally breaking through.

He looked down when Erwin shrugged his shoulders and sighed, only to grunt and stumble when Levi effortlessly flipped himself off of Erwin's shoulders, gracefully landing on the ground and walking towards the exit of the alley without a hitch in measured movements.

He stopped in the middle of the street, looking up at the clearing sky, raising his right arm to shield his eyes, and for a mere moment Erwin just stood there, observing his lover.

The world will never know what they had. The world will never know what they are to one another. But it didn't need to know either.

Everything that needed to be known - needed to be said and done - was between them. To everyone else they would be Danchō and Heichō; leader and trusted follower. To everyone else, they would be just two men who fought for the same purpose.

To one another they would be so much more.

"Do you intend to stand there all day, old man?" Levi drawled as he turned to look at Erwin, and in the shadows of the alley, Erwin allowed himself to truly smile. As he walked towards Levi, his expression turned indifferent, but one glance in sky blue eyes told Levi more than Erwin's expressions ever could.

"I think I already told you not to call me that," Erwin spoke calmly and the two of them made their way towards the entrance to the main building with Erwin taking the lead and Levi walking just a few steps behind him. "Will I have to discipline you again?"

"You might just have time since I took the liberty of cleaning up your office," Levi answered, the right corner of his lips twitching up when Erwin halted with his right hand wrapped around the doorknob. He just _knew_ that he managed to stun his older lover.

Levi watched as Erwin straightened and opened the door, walking hastily into the building without making it seem as though he was running, but Levi still managed to lose Erwin out of sight as he followed after the Commander at a much slower pace.

Suffice to say, Levi would later be relieved that there was no one around – he imagines Erwin would thank the gods for that too – because the sense of utter _giddiness_ he felt when Erwin's rage-full, indignant shout of Levi's name reached his ears, putting a sly, self-satisfied smirk on Levi's face.

He rounded the corner and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and smirking at the stunned, still form of Erwin Smith.

"So, _Erwin_," he drawled as Erwin slowly turned towards him, eyes wide and mouth open, "I think we were talking about _discipline_."

Erwin slowly turned towards Levi, and the raven-haired man smirked openly at him, pushing away from the wall and strutting slowly towards Erwin, walking past the stunned man and into the office, smirk growing bigger when he saw how perfectly _clean_ it was.

Levi glanced over his right shoulder when the door closed with a bang, cocking an eyebrow at Erwin when he saw the man already removing his jacket and unbuttoning the leather straps.

And there was no doubt in Levi's mind that he would have to clean the office again.

But no one heard him complain.

* * *

**I hope you liked it!**

**Leave a comment and see you soon!**


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